


Worlds Apart

by MiJay_V1995



Category: bts, 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Awkwardness, Bottom Kim Taehyung | V, CEO Kim Taehyung | V, Complicated Relationships, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, Idol Min Yoongi | Suga, M/M, Misunderstandings, Model Kim Seokjin | Jin, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Power Bottom Park Jimin (BTS), Slow Build, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, Strangers to Lovers, Stylist Park Jimin (BTS), Tags Are Hard, Top Jeon Jungkook, Top Min Yoongi | Suga, University Student Jeon Jungkook, interior Designer Kim Namjoon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-01
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:47:30
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 45,582
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28478673
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MiJay_V1995/pseuds/MiJay_V1995
Summary: Kim Taehyung owns Purple Aura, a massive advertising agency and when the company take on a campaign for a new drama, it gives him an idea which leads him to someone that he would never have met under usual circumstances. With everything against them... can they make it work?
Relationships: Jeon Jungkook & Kim Taehyung | V, Jeon Jungkook/Kim Taehyung | V, Jung Hoseok | J-Hope/Original Character(s), Jung Hoseok | J-Hope/Original Male Character(s), Kim Namjoon | RM & Original Character(s), Min Yoongi | Suga/Park Jimin
Comments: 72
Kudos: 39





	1. Introduction

**Author's Note:**

> Happy 2021 to you all. What better way to start a new year, than with a new fic?
> 
> This fic is being written currently so updates will be weekly, every Friday for now. Life can be tough and if I get writers block I will be out of action and I hate that. I usually work myself up because I don't want to let anyone down, which just makes the fog in my brain thicker! It's a vicious cycle.
> 
> This could turn into a novel and it's going to be a bumpy ride so fasten those seatbelts!
> 
> x M x

**“Just get it done”**

Mr Kim had had enough today. He shoved some papers into his brown leather briefcase, flipped the clasps and rolled the numbers on the lock. His royal blue Gucci suit jacket was snatched off the back of his chair and as the heavy black leather office chair spun around from the force, he shrugged the jacket onto his shoulders and marched across the room to the frosted glass door, which he promptly swung open and walked through, leaving his PA trotting behind him.

There were some days where he could happily accept that he shouldn’t have left his penthouse apartment and entertained the day… this was one of those. The elevator was hot and stuffy (he made a mental note to ensure the air conditioning was turned up), full of people that smiled and nodded, they all said ‘hello’ because the rumours were that he would fire them if they didn’t. He didn't have time for rumours and he is a believer in 'actions speak louder than words' so he let people believe what they wanted to. His sigh was one of disdain, his eye roll was because people bored him, even his friends were so wrapped up in their careers that no one had fun anymore. 

Mr Kim was the CEO of the largest advertising company in at least four states, Seoul and Europe. He was worth more dead than alive or that is what everyone told him and he always felt indifferent to it when someone said it. He worked 16 hour days, lived alone and ate takeaway food whilst working at the desk in his home office when he was actually at home. He made time for his friends when they were free and for the functions and events that required him to attend. There was a time when he cleared his schedule to take a few days break but as of late, that hadn't been possible due to his workload. He didn’t have time for anything else but the money in his bank account, his luxurious penthouse, the red ferrari, the ridiculously expensive suits and holidays cruising on his private yacht (when he had time) made it all worthwhile. He could pay a high class escort to accompany him whenever he needed a plus one and then not have to worry about seeing them again after that. His life was convenient and he had complete control over all of it… or so he thought.

Today he’d left his car at home because one of the new advertising campaigns the company was working on was about a journey. A new drama was due to air and it was about a homeless man and a prince who swap places for a month and it got him thinking. He rarely did anything ‘normal’ that the average person did every day of their lives, he’d never bought a hotdog from a street vendor, never needed to run for a bus or hail a cab. The life he’d lived was one of privilege so it became a personal challenge to tick things off of a bucket list that money couldn't buy… getting the subway was the first thing on said list.

This morning he cheated, asking his PA to pick him up and as he’d climbed into the bog standard Ford, he almost conceded this as part of the challenge. The soap and sanitizer were used several times once he was in his office, then he checked his suit over, just as often, it was a natural reaction and one he didn't really give much thought, even when his PA gave him a look because he guessed what he was doing. He liked his PA, didn’t want the hassle of interviews if his PA decided to resign but he rarely saw his actions as wrong, even if he could probably agree that he was a snob at times, his friends were snobs too and he was surrounded by highbrow people. The people around him and the circles he mixed in meant his actions were normal... to him and his world. Being born with a silver spoon in your mouth was great but in the last year or so he’d started to realise that perhaps his life was a little too sheltered. The icing on the cake was watching the new drama and seeing the complete contrast between the prince and the pauper. Challenges were part of his everyday life, he’d challenged himself to buy up every large advertising firm within a certain radius and he achieved that. The challenge to trend for 48 hours solid on Twitter was also achieved faster than expected, along with everything he set his sights on. Mr Kim Taehyung always aimed high, it was drummed into him from a young age when second place was always considered as failure and winning was always the only option. He was a cut throat business man who earned every ounce of his reputation and deserved the riches he possessed. There were elements of his reputation that were not deserved, he treated his staff well and his heart was always in the right place, even if sometimes it wasn't logical or easy to understand, so any rumours that contradicted this were undeserved.

He was questioning his decision right now though, as he walked down the steps into the subway, shifting his upper body sharply in order to avoid touching members of the public. His repugnance was evident when he had to operate the ticket machine, pulling a small bottle of sanitizer out of his pocket as soon as he had his ticket in his hand. It was humid and sticky underground, the air smelt of something abhorrent and there were far too many people for his liking, wishing very much that he was in his ferrari or in the back of an air conditioned limousine. 

Once he found the platform he needed, he removed his suit jacket and slung it over his arm, holding it close to his body because it was worth a small fortune. There were so many different kinds of people rushing about, many in very little clothing due to the heat. The trains that he was pull into the station were crammed with bodies, people pushing and shoving, sweating and breathing on each other and it filled him with dread. He looked inquisitively around him as he tried to work out where the singing was coming from, a sweet angelic voice drifting through the suffocating atmosphere. He strained to listen but there was too much noise and he couldn’t quite get the sense of direction but the hairs prickled on the back of his neck as he tried to drown out the background noise.

Mr Kim took a few steps in the direction of where he thought the singing was coming from and in the distance could just make out a young man sitting against the wall, moving his head from side to side as he sang the melody. He didn’t recognise the song but was intrigued by the man’s voice, wondering why someone with such talent was sitting on the floor of a dirty subway station. He didn’t have time to think though because there was a rush of wind and his train approached, drowning out any other sound around him. He looked quickly towards the train which had a couple of carriages that appeared to be emptier than some he'd seen previously, head darting back to the busker, he couldn't take the risk of waiting for another train and desperately needed to get home so walked quickly, making it just in time as the doors closed.

**

He woke the next morning slumped over his desk, his mouth crusty from the drool that dried at some point in the few hours he'd been asleep. After showering, covering his body in lotion, applying a very minute amount of cologne to his pulse points and opting for the grey Versace three piece suit with matching tie, he was nearly ready to take on the day. He brushed his hair, noting that he was probably due a trim because he wasn't so keen when the dark chocolate coloured tips reached beyond the middle of his ear, he liked it shorter than that, with his fringe covering his eyebrows. He often straightened it because his friends commented that it looked unkempt when it was wavy and when one of your friends is a supermodel and another is a stylist to the stars, you undoubtedly listen to them.

Every one of his close friends attended the same junior, middle and high school, were from equally high class families and they were one elitist gang. Seokjin (known to his friends as Jin) is a Supermodel who travelled the world, was paid unbelievable sums of money just to walk the runway in a city like Milan whilst being told he had to abstain from large food portions to enable him to squeeze into the ridiculously overpriced outfit they wanted him to wear. Jin was a hotel snob along with clothing and champagne, if it wasn't the best then you'd better not offer it to him. He could be quite cutting with his opinions but he always stood by the notion that 'honesty is the best policy' no matter what it is.

Namjoon (aka Joon) is an interior designer with such an eye for detail that many celebrities hired him when renovating their luxurious homes. He had a love for art and all things made of natural wood, seeking out the best carpenters and tradesmen to make his vision a reality. He could make any space fit for royalty at the right price, his snobbery rearing its head when checking for a label on upholstery and judging accordingly. His memory wasn't great, he often appeared to be quite clumsy outside of his work but he didn't have time to be reckless when he was dealing with someone's home or the set of a movie.

The stylist and complete Queen of the group is Jimin (affectionately known as Mochi by his friends and Mini by his partner), he was the over dramatic one who would cause a scene if your shoes didn't match your bag. He is the fashion King (and Queen, rolled into one), he knew everything there was to know about designers, hair and make up. He was in high demand on awards nights and the celebrity that hired him for Oscar night paid nothing short of a small fortune. He put the 'S' in snob and was the first to admit it. Jimin also had a big heart for anyone who he deemed worthy of seeing that side of him and you knew it if you weren't seen as worthy.

Yoongi, the world famous rapper ‘Honsool’, named himself because he went through a very dark phase in his life and buried his head in a bottle of extortionately priced whiskey, drinking alone every day. After going off the rails, some extremely expensive therapy, he poured everything into his music, had a hit album and confessed his love for his lifelong friend, Jimin which got him to where he was today. His grounded and robust nature made him a complete contrast to his theatrical stylist boyfriend but they worked. Yoongi (aka Yoon) was less of a snob than his friends but the scotch whiskey had to be aged to perfection and his jewelry had to weigh a ton. 

The happiest member of their elite group is Hoseok (known as Hobi or Seok by most), he masked his snobbery with the biggest smile you’ve ever seen. He owned the biggest dance school in the state, the company name was renowned and even had its own clothing line. ‘EGO’ was printed on leotards, leggings, t-shirts and accessories too and was responsible for scouting many of the celebrities that graced Broadway and Hollywood. It cost a fortune to attend but recently he started a scholarship programme which was heavily sought after. Hobi was an all round snob but you never knew whether he was being serious because he always said it with a laugh.

They were a formidable bunch and their reputations preceded them with most venues in the area bending over backwards for them when they booked a table. There were literally a few venues that were good enough for them, Jimin always complained about the staff uniform, Namjoon wasn’t keen on the decor and Tae wasn’t happy if he wasn’t responsible for their advertising. It all made life a little difficult but it could be a task to get them all together at certain times of the year due to Jin usually being half way across the world on a catwalk somewhere.

**

Taehyung instantly regretted his decision to use the subway when he was three steps from the bottom and the grotesquely warm air hit him. He hated being hot, he hated sweating, he was born in a well air conditioned, spotlessly clean, sterile hospital suite and that was how he lived his life. The dirty arid atmosphere of the underground station made one side of his top lip curl and he could confidently say he despised it.

One of his qualities was the fact that he could learn from a situation and improve on it, he was the perfect student who only made a mistake once, if he made one at all. Taehyung was a complete perfectionist and would always get to the level of perfection he desired until such a time when the bar was raised and he needed to readjust and improve further. Yesterday’s lesson was regarding the ticket machine and today he pulled a disposable glove from his pocket, slid his hand inside then once he had his ticket he could remove the glove, turn it inside out and wait to find a bin. Lesson learned, clean hands and the use of sanitizer was purely to make him feel that bit better instead of being a necessity as it had been yesterday.

Whilst walking along the platform he listened out for that angelic voice he’d heard yesterday, the main reason he was back today. He considered the possibility that the young man might only appear in the late afternoons and evenings to catch the rush hour for commuters and later on, those that are heading out for the night. There was no sign of him this morning, just an empty spot where he’d been sitting yesterday which was annoying because it meant he was definitely going to have to catch the train home today too, a thought he didn't relish.

His work day was full and he knew he wouldn’t be getting away early and depending on how long the final meeting dragged on for, he might just have to ask the company driver to take him home. He felt quite disgusting as he walked from the subway to his building, he didn’t much like walking either. 

“Good morning Sir, Mr Kim.” the security guard said as the doors slid open and Taehyung walked into the crisp air of the lobby. He nodded at the security guard, he didn’t really speak to the staff very often, let alone on days when he felt gross after catching a train. 

It seemed to take forever for the elevator to arrive, stepping inside and hearing the usual greetings from a variety of staff whom he didn’t know. Once he’d chosen an employee at interview and instructed his PA to send the email offering them the job, he didn’t see them again, leaving the training to those managers responsible for that. He only met with the department managers once a month so didn’t really know them either, unless he’d had to fire one and get a replacement. Taehyung didn’t mix business with pleasure, he paid these people to do a job and to assist him in making his company what it was. He had absolutely zero desire to socialise with these people or make idle chit chat because he quite simply didn’t give a shit, even though he always made sure that as employees, they were well looked after. There were a couple of exceptions though, like when one of the managers graduated after taking on a degree whilst never once letting his workload suffer and when the lady on reception became pregnant after years of fertility treatment. He liked to offer congratulations to those staff on such occasions because he appreciated how hard they had worked and the fact that they’d never given up, was something he admired. Life wasn’t easy for some, that he understood but some people had fight inside them and he was appreciative of those kind of traits. Just last week one of the security guards was given the all clear of a medical condition and Taehyung thought the man was very brave to have endured the treatment he’d had. There was a small amount of humanity inside him but it wasn’t always obvious and he didn’t make a big deal out of it because he preferred for his employees to have an element of fear, being their friend would just muddy the waters. Instead he gave the man an overnight stay in a luxury hotel for him and his partner, all expenses paid at a spa resort because he considered that the man probably hadn't relaxed throughout the course of his treatment and awaiting results. The employee was surprised but incredibly thankful for the gesture having not expected anything at all and being grateful purely because his boss had kept him in a job throughout his ordeal so financially he'd needed never to worry.

Once in his office, his air conditioned space, he washed up in the ensuite bathroom that housed a shower cubicle, sink and toilet. There wasn’t time for a shower but a quick splash of water and a wipe over with some refreshing wipes would have to do for now. It didn’t prevent him from feeling disgusting but it was an improvement on an hour ago when he felt positively grotesque.

There was a tap on the frosted glass door and he shouted “Enter” as he placed his suit jacket on a hook on the wall and took a seat in his big leather chair.

“Good morning Sir, Mr Kim.” his PA was cute. 

“Stefan, please call me one or the other.”

Taehyung liked his PA, he had impressed him greatly at the interview and in the year since he’d employed him, he hadn’t let him down. Stefan was 21, looked fresh out of nappies and had a hunger to succeed. The plan hadn’t been to take someone on who was so young but his previous PA was leaving on good terms so offered to stick around and show him the ropes. Stefan was fresh out of business school so learned fast and was grateful for the opportunity.

“Yes, sorry, Mr Kim.” 

Stefan sat down in the chair on the other side of the desk and started tapping away on the tablet screen that he held in his lap. He was very attractive and Taehyung would have been lying if he said it wasn’t a positive to having him around.

“Is there anything I need to know?”

“No, Mr Kim. You have your schedule for today and there hasn’t been any adjustments to that. There is an issue with the conference call with Germany on Friday but until that is resolved, I don’t think you need to know as I will need to amend your schedule is necessary.”

“What’s the issue?”

“Moonchild have been hesitating because they want the job to be done for less money.”

“Do they now? I am positive that a friend of mine is due to appear at their show in Paris in a couple of weeks. I will contact him and find out because I’m sure they wouldn’t be so happy if he suddenly withdrew his attendance.”

“Is there anything you would like me to do today?”

“I may need a car this evening so if you could contact the driver and make sure he is aware that would be useful. Also, the director of that drama is coming in this afternoon but I have that meeting in the boardroom so if you could have someone meet him, please.”

“Is the director coming in to look at the slides for the advert?”

“Yes.”

“I will arrange that as soon as I finish here. Would you like me to bring you lunch today?”

“Have lunch delivered at 2pm. I should have 10 minutes to eat it, providing the meeting before that doesn’t go over time.”

Stefan nodded and confirmed his order of kimbap, then left the office to make tea, leaving Taehyung to phone Jin.

“What are you after?” were the first words uttered by Jin.

“How offensive, can’t a guy phone his friend without an ulterior motive?” Tae had 10 minutes before his meeting so didn’t have time to mess about.

“What do you want, Tae?”

“Are you due to appear at that Moonchild show in Paris?”

“Yes, why? Are they causing you trouble?”

“They want to opt for lower quality advertising to get a cheaper deal.”

“That’s probably because all of their money is caught up in this show. The label needs this new line to flourish or the word is that they will go under.”

“How will lowering the quality of advertising achieve that? That is ludicrous. I know we can’t be beaten on price for what we are offering though so taking a gamble on a deal that will be cheaper won’t be positive for them.”

“I’ll throw a supermodel tantrum, it will be fine. If they choose a bad advertising agency to save money, I will be featured so it could affect my reputation too. I’ll just tell them that unless the advertising is top notch, I’m out.”

“Supermodel tantrum, huh?”

“I can flounce with the best of them and I only have to phone Jimin for a tutorial if needed.”

Tae scoffed at his friend, he knew what he was saying was correct “Look, I’ve got to go but let me know when you are back in town.”

“Yeah, yeah. Should be next month depending on whether I go to Paris or not.”

“Great. Thanks, Jin.”

He hung up the phone, pressing the speaker button to end the call. He always forgot which button was the one that ended the call and was convinced that one day he would say something he shouldn’t and the call would still be active. He preferred using his mobile phone because the contraption in the office was complicated and he didn’t use half the buttons. Thankfully it wasn’t important enough to warrant too much thought and he kept the instructions in his drawer just in case.

Before heading off to the meeting, a few rooms away from his office, he checked his emails and saw one from Jin that said ‘incoming’. He didn’t have time to reply and ask what on earth he was talking about but as he passed Stefan’s desk on his way along the corridor, only to be told that the conference call on Friday was going ahead as planned, it all made sense and he smiled to himself.

**

The day was a successful one and with the previous meeting finishing on time, Taehyung decided to take the train home. It was a similar time to yesterday so his theory was that the busker should be there and his plan was to actually stand and listen properly this time instead of taking the first empty train that arrived. His love for music began when his Mother would sing to him as a baby, her voice was classically trained and the most beautiful sound he’d ever heard, so hearing the tone of the man’s voice yesterday certainly caught his attention.

He was incredibly grateful that he’d purchased a return ticket this morning because even with a glove, he didn’t really like touching the ticket machine or standing in the queue of people who were usually sweating and heavy breathing far too close to him. The barriers allowed him past and he was pleasantly surprised by the lack of passengers because he saw the young busker before he heard him this time but as he started the next song, that same angelic tone he heard yesterday danced through the unclean air. He walked closer so he could hear properly, without the sounds of the underground tarring the hypnotising vocals. The man was sitting cross legged on the floor, a bucket hat concealed the top half of his face as he moved his head from side to side and clicked his fingers to give himself a beat.

Taehyung looked down at him, noticing the feeble number of coins dusting the interior of the plastic container placed in front of him. He removed some notes from his wallet and rolled them up, tying the cylinder of money with an elastic band and dropped it into the tub. The man didn’t seem to notice as he started another song and Tae wondered if he had his eyes closed, lost in the melody. A third train pulled into the station and Taehyung decided he should go, he could feel the droplets of perspiration on his neck and back which made him feel revolting. He didn’t want to disturb the young man but was intrigued as to why he was busking and not performing on a stage somewhere. He turned to leave, chastising himself because he knew he would probably have to come back, he wasn’t overly keen on unanswered questions, becoming a bit like a dog with a bone until he was satisfied. Mysteries were not something he was a fan of because he likened it to mental torture if he couldn’t solve it or at least find an explanation that he could live with…. Therefore he knew he would be back, unfortunately.

“Sir!” 

Taehyung was startled when a hand grabbed his arm and a short, sharp voice shouted ‘Sir’ at him. He stopped and turned back towards the busker who was standing now, he couldn’t see his eyes properly because of the hat and looked down at the hand gripping his arm with a look of utter contempt.

“Do you mind?” he couldn’t quite believe the audacity of the man.

“Sorry, but you dropped this” the man held out the bundle of neatly rolled notes, letting go of Taehyung’s arm.

“I know I did, that’s usually what people do isn’t it? Drop money into your container?”

The man laughed “Well, yes, but not that much they don’t.”

By now the train was gone and another was approaching “Not everyone has that much to dispose of.”

Taehyung was desperate for a shower and the humidity was stifling. He wondered how anyone could be dressed in black and wearing a hat whilst actually being able to breathe, let alone sing as the young man had been. As the train stopped at the platform he walked away and through its doors, choosing to stand because he dreaded to think how dirty the seats were. The train doors closed and he watched the man put the money in his pocket and for the first time he got a glimpse of the face that would invade his dreams as the busker removed his hat and ran a hand through his hair.


	2. Terms

Control… that pretty much summed up the life of Kim Taehyung but not in the sense that he enjoyed controlling others, more that he needed to be in control of his own life. If there was something affecting him that was out of his control, he found a way to deal with it, which usually involved money but when you have as much as Taehyung, that was an easy option.

Dreams, however, were something he couldn’t control and that night, the dream was a scene from Romeo and Juliet, Taehyung was on his balcony, enjoying a glass of Chateau Margaux when he heard singing from below. The young busker serenaded him, his voice proving hypnotic, as well as a turn on as he looked over the ornate balcony rails. He couldn’t see his face clearly but there was no mistaking who it was as he waved him up… which is where the dream ended. It sparked a desire within Taehyung to hear the busker again, to make sure that the next dream didn't have a blank face. 

The next day he cursed when there was an emergency meeting that he hadn’t scheduled, his PA phoning him before he left for the office so he had to drive into work. The meeting was done and dusted quickly when he told the director of the other company that he either towed the line and did things their way or he could shred the contract, losing millions in revenue that would come if Taehyung was in charge of their advertising.. That took 20 minutes and he was soon back in his office feeling annoyed because he detested rushing and having to deal with situations that were unnecessary. He also hated it when people tried to get the better of him, his company was so wealthy that he could gamble and risk losing their business without it affecting very much at all. When he named the company ‘Purple Aura’ he wanted a name that stood for so much more than people expected. He’d always been fascinated by rainbows, purple being the last colour he decided was the most important factor. Purple held up all the other colours, it was essentially the backbone of the colourful arc and he wanted something that was a positive stigma. 

He wanted a name that said 'you can trust us' when you see it, thus… Purple Aura, the solid foundation for advertising, was born.

It was a couple of days later that he had a schedule clear enough to catch the train to work, even though he thought it was ludicrous that he was putting himself through the literal definition of hell just so he could find out why the young man was busking and hadn’t been discovered. Hell took on many forms and in this case, it was leaving the office two hours later than planned, just to be diverted on the street, having to walk the long way around to get into the dingy subway station. There was a very minute positive to the hell situation today and that was that leaving the office this late meant there were fewer people around and the lack of commuters in the station told Taehyung that rush hour was over. He hated rush hour, even in the car, too many cars on the road with too many people who can’t drive which was all too similar to rush hour on foot because people seemed unable to walk properly then either. One of the worst things about being close to so many people aside from their body odour was their ability to just stop dead in their tracks and start a conversation, which was incredibly annoying should you be walking behind them.

The station was still an awful place to be as Taehyung approached the busker. The young man had a couple of people standing near him listening to him when Taehyung reached him. He was crouched down today, leaning his lower back against the wall, sleeveless black cotton t-shirt showing his lean arms and well toned biceps, the black cap pulled down covering the top half of his face and Taehyung wondered whether he did that to block out his audience. The black combats looked worn in places and the black military style boots had definitely seen better days, leading the CEO into a train of of thought about whether the man had somewhere to live or if he travelled around all the stations busking.

Taehyung recognised the song he was singing, it was from an old movie and this impressed him because he loved old movies, he didn’t get the time to enjoy them as much as he would like. A train pulled into the station and one of the men standing nearby threw some coins into the plastic tub at the busker’s feet before rushing off to run through the doors before they closed. The sound of the coins hitting the plastic reverberated around the station, echoing in places but not detracting from the angelic voice of the busker. 

The rechargeable fan Taehyung was holding to his face, helped ease the oppressive atmosphere slightly as he listened to song after song. He wasn’t in any rush today, aside from the overwhelming desire to get out of the subway station. Taehyung didn’t even like ‘people watching’ because he didn’t really like people, especially those that didn’t mix in the same circles as him. He had a very small circle of people that he could tolerate, then there were the people he saw outside of that circle, like his family. After that were the people he saw most days but only in a professional capacity but he knew a little bit about them because he saw them so often and people such as his PA who engaged in small talk. Once you moved outside of that circle, there were people he saw often and some he saw rarely but either way he didn’t care because it was probably linked to work and he didn’t need to know anything about them unless they impacted negatively on his company.

After the busker finished one particular song he liked, he dropped a cylinder of notes into the pot and the young man immediately looked up. Taehyung didn’t notice that the man was looking at him because he was looking around the station, the lack of hustle and bustle much more obvious once the song had finished. 

“Excuse me.” the young man was standing now, looking directly at Taehyung.

“Yes?” he moved the fan slightly to the side so it wasn’t covering his mouth.

“I can’t accept this again.” he held out the bundle of notes.

Taehyung gave him an impervious look “I hardly need it and I always show my gratitude where it is due.”

“Yes but it is too much, I really can’t accept it.”

“Technically speaking, you _can_ accept it but the truth is that you don’t want to. One can only presume that it is a pride thing.”

“And so what if it is my pride? It doesn’t change the fact that it’s too much.” there was a slight irritation to his tone.

“Look, give some to charity if you want or buy yourself some new boots but returning it is insulting.”

“I’m insulting?” the busker scoffed and raised his brow, eyes opening wide, lips pursed.

“It could be interpreted that way, yes. Perhaps ungrateful is a better word?”

The busker took a deep breath and his cheek bulged slightly from where he was poking his tongue into the inside of it, he was quite taken aback by the arrogance on display. He was used to rude people but this guy was in a league of his own. The young man looked at the well tailored suit, the matching waistcoat, the blue gemstone earring that matched the colour of his tie and wondered why he was in the subway at all, let alone throwing his money at him for the second time. He wondered if perhaps the well dressed man wasn’t as well off as he made out because surely he would have a driver or his own car at least? He’d known people like this before, thought they were something they weren’t and quite frankly, they didn’t impress him at all. He even considered the notion that the man was an actor or maybe even an escaped patient from a nearby psychiatric hospital.

The problem was that he was intrigued and he wasn’t about to just roll over and allow the man to think he had won. “So that I am not seen as ungrateful, why don’t I buy us a smoothie with this, you look like you could do with a cold drink.” 

Taehyung was in a state of shock at the brass neck of this young man. Firstly, was the busker saying that he looked hot? Which meant he was sweating and looked as gross as he felt. Secondly, what made this man think that he wanted to go anywhere with him at all? It was an unpleasant notion to think that people would see them together but perhaps they would presume he was helping a poor young man. They would surely look like a mismatched couple stood side by side.

“I’m not in need of a drink.” the truth was that he wasn’t in need of being seen in a different setting with the busker, this hadn't been his intention... not that he was one hundred per cent sure what his intentions actually were.

“You can take this back then and I will have to live with being ungrateful or insulting.” he held out the money.

“It is now more appropriate that we add manipulative to that ever growing list of negativity.”

“I’m not being manipulative, I’m being honest. You want me to have this money and I’ve given you the terms on which I will accept it, take it or leave it.” he was being both nonchalant and sincere.

Taehyung could not understand why the man was being so difficult, most people would have taken the money and run. He was used to bartering with business associates and always drove a hard bargain but this was ridiculous. 

“You will accept the money that I gave you because I enjoyed your singing, providing I agree to having a smoothie?” Taehyung was irritated because this was insane and he didn’t like being held to ransom.

“That’s right.” the young man picked up the plastic tub and took a lid from his backpack, pressed it down to secure the money inside then placed the whole tub into the bag.

Taehyung looked most unimpressed and was tempted to take the money back but that almost felt like conceding so he agreed “After you, then.”

The busker threw the backpack onto his back and walked off towards the exit, climbing the steps two at a time, glancing behind him when he reached the top to ensure Taehyung was following. 

“Follow me, there’s a place not far from here.” he said, walking left, away from the subway.

Taehyung didn’t say anything, he just followed the man feeling a bit confused as to how any of this was happening. A small part of him admired the balls of the busker, it certainly provoked curiosity as to how someone with such character was singing in a station looking like he was homeless. 

The young man stopped at a very small cafe that had a counter and three tables inside, he had his back to Taehyung so couldn’t see the disenchanting look on his face. 

“Would you like to sit inside or outside? Outside is probably cooler to be honest.” 

Taehyung was looking at the young man, he had his thumbs through the straps of his backpack, his lean but muscular arms on display, the peak of his cap casting a shadow across his face as he waited for him to respond.

“You are the one who has been trapped in the station for hours so you choose.” in reality, it didn’t matter to him, inside it would be humid and suffocating, outside would be humid with a slight breeze and people would see them together. The choice wasn’t really one that filled him with enthusiasm.

“We’ll sit outside then. If you take a seat I will go and get the drinks. Is there anything in particular that you want?”

Taehyung moved towards a small square table, he pulled out the chair “I’ll have whatever you have, once fruit is blended it all tastes the same.”

The young man wasn’t going to argue, he nodded and entered the cafe while Taehyung took a clear plastic folder from his briefcase and rested it on the chair so he could sit down on it. The chair didn’t look very clean and he dreaded to think how many people had sat on it, in this weather people would have shorts on and there could be perspiration on it. He never came to places like this, there wasn’t ever any need to and even though he was sure their food and drinks were perfectly acceptable, it really wasn’t a place he would usually be seen in.

He wasn’t waiting for long, the busker appeared and put the two cups down on the table, the liquid inside concealed by the green cardboard cup complete with plastic lid and stripy straw. After removing his bag and sliding it under his chair he sat down and took a sip from his drink, humming in satisfaction and leaning back, eyeing Taehyung with a curious expression.

“The people that own this place are really nice.” he said, smiling.

Taehyung thought that the young man had a kind face, even with the shadowing he could see the sharp jawline and strong features.

“You come here a lot?” he was aware that sounded like a lame chat up line but he hoped the busker had more sense than to believe that’s what it was.

“A couple of times a week, when I have the money.”

“Is busking the way you earn all your money?”

“I earn most of my money by busking but I also work in a diner not far from here three nights a week or whatever shifts they give me.”

“You earn enough to live on?” he asks, putting straw to his lips. 

“I have to pay for my school fees so I earn enough to survive.”

“You study too?”

“Yeah, I’m a dance major.”

“Have you ever thought about singing professionally?”

“Oh, I’m not that good. I am lucky enough that in the subway I sound good enough for people to drop money in my pot, that’s all.”

“I think you underestimate yourself.” Taehyung is surprised by the busker's modesty. 

“Obviously.”

“Meaning?”

“The amount of money you rolled up was hardly loose change.”

“To me it is.”

The young man drained his cup until the straw made the slurping noises that everyone hated hearing. “So what’s your name?”

“Taehyung, you?”

“Jungkook, Jeon Jungkook.”

“Well, it’s been a pleasure meeting your acquaintance Jeon Jungkook. I need to get going so if you will excuse me, I presume this completes our arrangement?”

“If you mean, will I keep the money, then yes, this completes our arrangement.”

Taehyung smiled briefly as he got to his feet, remembering to put the plastic folder back in his briefcase and picking up his empty cup to put in the rubbish bin. He left Jungkook sitting at the table as he nodded and walked away in the direction of the subway, a little amused yet fascinated by the busker.

That night after the encounter he played everything over in his mind, he couldn’t work out what it was that was so enchanting about the young man, they were from worlds that were polar opposites and Taehyung would have been lying if he said he hadn’t felt a hint of embarrassment sitting outside the cafe. He thought about what his friends would say if they knew, even worse what they’d say if they’d seen him sitting there with the busker. He suspected they would have called the mental health team and would have been convinced he was having a mental breakdown of sorts because Taehyung didn’t do cafes and he definitely didn’t do dates with people like Jeon Jungkook. Whilst sipping on the expensive brandy out of his crystal glass with the ornate 'T' engraved on it, legs outstretched, crossed at the ankle on a dark brown leather foot stool, covered loosely by the satin robe he’d thrown on after his shower, he wondered what sort of establishment Jungkook called home. He’d already made a judgement that it was more than likely some kind of pokey, dingy room or bedsit somewhere in a part of town he’d never been before. There wasn’t anything wrong with that of course, someone had to live in those places and not everyone had the fortune he did. He considered that perhaps Jungkook lived in halls or a dorm on campus, which would make sense because rent isn't cheap, wherever you live. Taehyung knows this from his many business meetings with companies where the cost of advertising has been decided upon based on other expenses and for some smaller companies who had large overheads, the cost of renting their establishment was a big factor. 

He also wondered what Jungkook would do with that money, if he would buy himself some new boots or put it towards his school fees. Taehyung tried to work out how much the fees were, given that he worked at a diner and went busking too. There were so many questions as the classical notes drifted around the expanse of his living room, swooping down and kissing the dark wooden floor with its patterned cream rugs. The orchestral sound drifted along the cream walls covered with lavish art and danced around the leather sofa and chairs. Taehyung contemplated a lot whilst listening to the music, he had work to do but set his alarm for 5am so he could drive to work early and get it done then because right now, there were too many questions unanswered and he didn’t like mysteries.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so we meet Jungkook... albeit briefly.
> 
> x M x


	3. Stalker or Sugar Daddy?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Introducing.... Ash... 
> 
> x M x

“You went on a date and didn’t tell me?” 

“It wasn’t a date.” Jungkook shook his head. 

“You had a one on one meal with a guy! That. Is. A. Date!”

Ash was the same age as Jungkook, he was the same height, with the same black hair in a similar style. People thought they were related when they were seen together and when a teacher in high school got their names mixed up, they became firm friends. Ash was doing a science masters degree but worked several nights a week at the diner plus any other shifts thrown his way so he could pay for his school fees, which is how Jungkook got the job there too, with the owners practically adopting the two boys.

“It wasn’t a meal, it was a smoothie.” he corrects, Ash. 

“That sounds like a date to me. Are you seeing him again?”

“Ash, why are you talking like we met, swapped numbers and actually had a date?”

“You didn’t get his number?”

Jungkook threw popcorn at Ash, hitting him in the face “No! Because it wasn’t a date! I had to blackmail him into the smoothie as it was. He’s a bit of a pompous prick to be honest, I doubt I’ll see him again.”

“You have too many morals, I’d have taken the money and run. He gave it to you. Maybe he wants to be your sugar daddy?” Ash wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

“Ewwwww! That’s gross and you read too much fiction. I don’t want to be kept, thank you very much, even by a gorgeous suited guy.”

Ash leapt onto Jungkook, wrestling him to the ground, snatching a handful of popcorn and throwing it at his face “Ahhhhh!! So you think he’s gorgeous?! I knew it! It was a date, you actually don’t have morals, you just needed an excuse to get in his pants!”

Jungkook shoved his friend off “I do have morals and I didn’t get in his pants so your theory is complete rubbish.”

“You should ask him out properly next time instead of using some lame arsed excuse.”

“It wasn’t an excuse. How can I justify taking that amount of cash? I sang a few songs in the subway.”

“He obviously thinks you’re worth it or he wouldn’t have given you it.”

“That might well be but it doesn’t matter now.”

“He’ll be back.”

“I doubt it.”

“He will. You don’t give away that kind of money and not return. He’s already done it twice. You mark my words and you can buy me a smoothie when I’m right.”

“I have to buy you a smoothie if he comes back again?”

“Yep! And when you two go out on a proper date, you can buy me dinner.” Ash said, pulling on his uniform to head to work.

“How is it that I have to keep buying you things because of your lame predictions?”

“When you get married, I want the annex in your huge mansion.” 

“Fuck off! Now I know you’re insane.” 

With his friend gone, Jungkook went to his room and put the bundle of notes in the jar under his bed. He thought his friend was funny, he played the events of the evening out in his mind and rolled his eyes, if that was considered a date then he was probably screwed because it was the worst date he’d ever been on. He couldn’t work out whether Taehyung did in fact have the wealth he claimed or whether he was a chancer, trying to appear to be something he wasn’t. He didn’t understand why Taehyung interested him aside from the fact that he loathed arrogance and saw it as a bit of a challenge to take him down a peg or two. It was silly really, he didn’t know him, didn’t know anything about him apart from his name, the fact he wore expensive suits and that he was good looking… but he would be lying to himself if he said he didn’t want to see him again, intrigue winning out.

**

The weather appeared to be getting hotter and a consequence of that was that Taehyung’s mood took a nosedive. One could say that it was his own doing because he was the one who decided, once again, to leave his car at home and catch the train to and from work but he would blame the app on his phone that told him it would be cooler and there was a 65% chance it would rain. The app lied, straight up lied… it was hotter than yesterday and the day before and he was perspiring like he’d run a marathon, standing at the bottom of the steps entering the subway with the odour of other people seeping through his nostrils. 

“Business class on the 14th, four days. Can you book everything and email me the itinerary? Then you can go home, it’s Friday.” he put his phone away, adding to his irritation was now a business trip to Europe next month where he would have to chair meetings for new investors, his PA was capable but he didn’t like leaving his company for long.

Today, he’d at least had the good sense to leave his suit jacket in the office but even with his long sleeved shirt rolled up to the elbows, he was still too hot. The fan he was holding was now feeling more like a hairdryer as it swooshed around the hot air so he gave up with it altogether. He really just needed to get home and wished he didn’t have this sense of desire to find out more about the busker because he could leave the subway and call his driver otherwise. 

“Am I not big enough for you to see?” he shouted at a man who bumped into him, spilling some of his iced americano on his shirt.

“Move out of the way next time.” the man shouted back, annoyed that he’d spilled some of his drink.

“This shirt cost more than you’re worth, idiot!” Tae snorted, looking at the brown stain on the crisp white fabric. He didn't do public confrontation and rarely lost his cool but irritation got the better of him today.

The man gave him an offensive hand gesture and ran for the train that had just pulled into the station, leaving Taehyung fuming under his breath, moving through the crowd to find his platform. He heard the voice before he saw the busker and his mood was marginally lifted when he recognised the song from a musical his mother had taken him too when he was younger. He was once again impressed by the vast array of songs he’d heard the busker sing and wondered if he sang them because he liked them or because he thought other people would like them. He nearly didn’t stop to listen to him today because he could feel that knot of indignation threatening to unfurl in his stomach but when the sweet tone of his voice filtered through the humidity, he thought he may as well stay for the next song. 

Jungkook looked like he was sweating buckets, even though he was wearing shorts that reached above his knees and a thin vest. The big boots looked out of place and Taehyung didn’t miss the fact that they were the worn ones that definitely needed replacing. Beads of perspiration ran down the side of his face from the edge of the cap covering the tops of his ears but his voice didn’t falter once. Taehyung was impressed that he was able to sing in this environment, the air was so thick with heat and the rancid smell of body odour, grease and some other things he’d rather not have to think about. 

This time, the busker looked up the second that the bundle of notes hit the container, he rolled his eyes, firstly because Ash was right and secondly because he would have to barter with the suited man once again. It was becoming an annoyance that the businessman persisted in dropping so much money because Jungkook wouldn’t accept it easily and then he would have to argue the toss, which was quite frankly a pain in his ass when he just wanted to finish his set and head home.

“You liked the smoothie that much?” Jungkook asked.

“Good evening to you too.” Taehyung glared.

“You know that I can’t accept this.”

“You imply that this is my problem and that I care?”

“I’m not implying anything, I’m just stating facts.”

“That list is getting longer.”

“Which list?” 

“The list of negativity that describes you, I’m not surprised that you have forgotten, it is a most unpleasant list.”

Jungkook rolled his eyes and took a deep breath “If something doesn’t hold my interest, I’m bound to forget it.”

Taehyung smirked “Obnoxious, that’s the word going on the list.”

“Okay, well… you can have this money back or come and get a smoothie. The choice is yours.” Jungkook started packing his bag away, he suddenly couldn’t be bothered to continue singing the last two songs he had planned.

“If I wanted a smoothie, I would buy one. Enjoy the rest of your evening.”

“Suit yourself.” Jungkook placed the neatly rolled cylinder of notes in the exact spot he’d been sitting in and turned to walk away.

“Hey! You can’t just leave that there.” Taehyung couldn’t believe the busker was just going to leave that amount of money on the floor.

“I told you I couldn’t accept it and since you won’t accept my terms, someone else can have it.”

Taehyung was extremely exasperated, he grabbed the money and took the steps towards the young man “someone else wouldn’t have earned it!”

“You imply that I care.”

“Insolent. Another word for that list!”

“Because I won’t accept your money? Go and buy someone else, Taehyung and perhaps they will kiss your ass and you can have a list of positivity.”

Jungkook didn’t turn back when he pushed through the commuters and took the steps two at a time, leaving Taehyung standing on the platform, open mouthed and more irked than he’d ever felt in his life. 

***

He wouldn’t be going into the subway again and to hell with the busker.

His briefcase still sat out of place near the bookcase where it had landed when he tossed it after slamming his door. He’d thrown his clothes into the laundry bag and stood under a cold shower, the cool water causing goosebumps to cover his skin. The temperature of the water had reduced the heat in his body but hadn’t done anything to decrease the anger he felt after his exchange with the busker. The one thing that did help extinguish the fire inside him was the freezing cold, honey coloured liquid that was currently sliding down his throat, his third glass already. The slight buzz that came from the bourbon swishing around his glass that clinked when the cubes of ice hit it, was refreshing and the more he swallowed, the less irritated he felt. By the fifth glass he had a plan, not born from the fact his ego was bruised, of course not, it was because he hadn’t paid for the services he’d received and he was a man who always gave credit where it was due.

Thankfully it was the weekend and he’d planned on working on Sunday, so waking on a Saturday morning with a slightly fuzzy head and a crick in his neck from falling asleep in his armchair wasn’t such a big deal. He didn’t even have a brunch date as he usually would because it was close to the period where awards nominations would be announced and that affected his friends. Jimin was the main one it affected because the celebrities would be baying for his services and he needed to prepare ideas for possible themes and since he was usually the one bugging Taehyung for brunch, it meant he had a free morning.

There were many perks of having a lot of money and that was that you could usually find someone to do what you wanted if you paid enough and even though the masseuse said he was fully booked, the right amount of money offered ensured that Taehyung got the massage he felt he needed. Some paracetamol, a shower, a thorough deep tissue massage and he was feeling a whole lot better than he had when he first opened his eyes this morning.

The day went quickly because once he was feeling more himself, he got some work out of the way, having checked his emails and reading the itinerary for his trip, he thought it was best to get ahead. It was soon time to go on a wild goose chase and even in the cold light of day he still thought that going to the diner where the busker worked was a good idea. The idea came to him through his whiskey clouded mind last night because he conceived that if he didn't ever see Jungkook again then their last exchange was one he’d lost and he wasn’t having that. There were very few people in his life that had ever gotten the better of him and he sure as hell wasn’t about to allow an idiotic street urchin to be one of them.

Taehyung accepted that he probably looked out of place walking into the diner with its tasteless name ‘Dino’s Dawgs’ in lights and everyone looking like they’d just fallen out of bed. The small diamond in his Chanel necklace was probably worth more than the building but this wasn’t the time to be considering such things. His beige trousers were well fitted, the white scoop neck top, with its three quarter length sleeves, was tucked nicely into the waistband adorned with a rich brown leather belt. His hair was parted in the middle and styled to perfection, it had been recently coloured so there was a brown gradient with the ends being a milk chocolate colour. He’d been reluctant to have the colour but Jimin insisted that ombre was the rage and he needed to be current when he was meeting with important people because it showed he wasn’t stuck in the dark ages, which is apparently what everyone would think if his hair was all one dark colour. Taehyung really wasn’t convinced that the CEO of a company or the middle aged men sitting around a boardroom table would give a shit about the colour of his hair but he listened to his friend anyway and if he didn’t like it he could always change it.

He eyed the seat of the booth he was shown to and was somewhat relieved that it was leather because the last thing he wanted was to sit on a fabric surface that would harbour dust and all the things he tried to avoid. The waitress was cute, she couldn’t hide the obvious attraction as her cheeks flushed and she couldn’t maintain eye contact, rushing through her lines to say someone would be over to take his order soon. Once she’d gone, he glanced over the menu and while waiting for a server, checked his phone for emails and the like. He was scrolling through Yoongi’s personal social media page when a familiar voice cleared his throat beside him and he looked up to see the busker standing there. 

“Good evening Sir” Jungkook cursed inwardly as the man looked up and he realised who it was.

Taehyung noticed the change in expression and had expected such a welcome “Good evening.”

“Can I take your order or would you like longer to decide?”

“I’ll have an iced tea please.”

Jungkook scribbled it down “Will that be all?”

“For now.” Taehyung answered then he went back to scrolling through his phone, smiling to himself when he saw the message that Jimin left on Yoongi’s wall declaring his love for him and knowing how much Yoongi would’ve complained about it.

He wasn’t waiting for very long when Jungkook appeared with his drink, placing it on top of the cardboard coaster that had ‘DD’ printed on it. He acknowledged the drink then looked up at the busker “Thank you.”

“Can I get you something to eat, Sir?” Jungkook didn’t like calling him sir because he annoyed him and it left a bitter taste in his mouth. At least in the subway he could speak freely but here he was at work and had to remain professional because he couldn’t risk losing his job. 

“What would you recommend?”

“Everything on the menu is good but I’m sure you are used to more upmarket dining.”

“Are you suggesting this fine diner isn’t upmarket?”

“I’m just surprised to see you in here, that’s all.”

“I’m full of surprises, Jeon Jungkook. I think we should add ‘judgemental’ to that list.”

“Perhaps I should start my own list, sir. I think ‘stalking’ would be at the top of it.” Jungkook was chewing the inside of his cheek because he was slightly irritated by Taehyung’s presence.

The fact that Taehyung laughed out loud in the most taunting way was both unexpected and highly annoying.

“You think I’m stalking you?” 

“Aren’t you?”

“Pretentious, is definitely added to the list.”

“I do find that to be amusing coming from you with your airs and graces and the way you look down your nose at everyone.” Jungkook was getting flustered and struggling to maintain control. He couldn’t believe how rude this man was and certainly couldn’t understand why he was following him around. 

“I would add ‘observant’ to the list but I don’t believe that to be a negative.”

Jungkook huffed and conceded that for now, it would be better to walk away and get on with his job. Taehyung got right under his skin and he would end up saying something he regretted if he stood at the table any longer, especially when he could see someone on the table further down who clearly wanted to order.

Taehyung sipped on his tea when the busker walked away, it hadn’t been his intention to wind him up when he decided to come here but he appeared to rub him up the wrong way a lot. He felt the bundle of notes in his pocket, he’d planned on leaving it as a tip and walking out but now he didn’t want to leave on such hostile terms and considered where to go from here when Jungkook came back.

When he did return, he placed a white basket of calamari down in front of Taehyung. The golden rings of battered squid, nestled on some finely sliced lettuce with a wedge of lemon on top and a pot of white creamy sauce beside it. 

“This isn’t mine, I didn’t order anything.” he said, looking up at the busker.

“You asked me what I would recommend and this is what I chose, sir. If you would prefer me to take it away, I will.”

“No, not at all. Thank you.”

Jungkook was surprised by the softness that laced his words and the sudden kindness in his eyes, wondering what the change in attitude represented.

“You’re welcome, would you like another iced tea?”

“Yes please.” Taehyung didn’t miss the fact that the busker’s demeanor had softened as a result of him being nicer.

“Enjoy your food, I won’t be very long.”

“Do you get a break?”

“I’m sorry?”

Taehyung smiled and raised an eyebrow “A break… do you get one?”

“Yes, of course.”

“When? When is your break?”

“In 20 minutes or so unless it gets busy.”

“Would you join me for your break? You could bring my tea then.”

Jungkook thought perhaps there had been an alien invasion while he was gone and that someone had abducted the real Taehyung and replaced him with someone semi likeable. He didn’t know how to respond after being on the defense so much.

“I usually sit out the back but thanks.”

“As that is what you usually do, then why not do something different?”

“Okay, I will be back in 20 minutes with your tea.”

“Bring yourself a drink too… unless my money is an issue when it comes to drinks?”

He couldn't think of an excuse to refuse, “Thank you. Enjoy your food.”

Jungkook scuttled off, feeling apprehensive about the sudden U-turn and wondering why there had been an obvious change in tactics. It was perplexing to consider that Taehyung had an agenda, not only could he not even begin to imagine what that agenda might be but he also couldn’t understand why he was the subject of any agenda. None of his questions would get answered if he didn’t speak with him though and there was a part of him that hoped the next 20 minutes would drag.

The 20 minutes didn’t drag, of course they didn’t. They hurried by and were filled with Jungkook taking payments with customers settling their bills and of course the diner had a bit of a lull just in time for his break. He prepared the iced tea for Taehyung and made himself an iced latte, it was far too hot for a regular coffee which he would have preferred. The diner was air conditioned but with all the rushing about, it soon had very little impact on him and a cold drink was the only way to cool down on days when it was warm, even the little windows around the top of the walls didn't help on the days when the air con wasn't having an effect. 

“Are you going to take your break standing up?” Taehyung asked as Jungkook put the iced tea down.

“Erm, no, of course not.” he answered, sliding into the space opposite Taehyung.

“Thank you for the drink and the calamari was good, it was a good choice.”

Taehyung wasn’t lying, he didn’t make a habit of blowing smoke up people’s backsides so he meant it when he complimented the food and the busker’s choice. It wouldn’t have been his first choice and he’d definitely eaten better calamari elsewhere but given the establishment he was in, it was good. 

“It’s one of my favourites. Thank you for the drink.”

“No problem. Have you worked here for long?”

“About a year, I think. My friend, Ash works here and got me the job. The owners are nice and the pay is better than most places.”

“But you still need to busk too?”

“Yeah but that’s because I can study in between and when it’s quiet at the station I can get some work done. It gets busy here, there are rarely any quiet times.”

“Yesterday, one of the songs you sang was from a musical, have you seen it?”

“Chicago?”

“Yes.”

“I’ve seen the movie but not the musical. You know it?”

“I saw it when I was younger. Do you like musicals?”

“I like the idea of them. I’ve seen the productions at school, even danced in one of them.”

“You’ve never been to a live stage show?”

“No, I don’t really get the time.”

Taehyung eyed him curiously “What do you do in your spare time?”

“I answer your questions.” he smirked.

“Technically you don’t because you didn’t answer the last one.”

“You know a lot about me, Taehyung. Do I get to ask you questions?”

“You can ask me anything you like, that doesn’t mean I have to answer.”

Jungkook had many questions he wanted to ask the man in the expensive suits who dropped money like it was worthless, who had an air of snootiness, who appeared to be repulsed by everything around him yet for whatever reason kept returning. He couldn’t make sense of it, Ash was convinced he wanted to be someone’s sugar daddy but that didn’t ring true because he would surely find someone easier to control and Jungkook wasn’t that person.

“What do you do when you aren’t stalking me?”

The small smile that formed on his mouth showed he was amused “I work.”

“Doing what?”

“Advertising.”

“You aren’t very forthcoming are you?”

Taehyung leaned forwards “Perhaps you aren’t asking the correct questions?”

“Do you work nearby? Is the building big or small? Have you worked there very long? Is that enough for you to elaborate?”

The entertainment factor was high and the fact he was entertained showed as the small smile grew “Yes I work nearby, have you heard of Purple Aura?”

“Who hasn’t?” Jungkook had heard of the company, he’d seen the adverts and seen the name under the branding of other companies. He knew the huge building uptown with its purple trim around the outside and all its glass. He’d known students at university who were desperate to get one of the intern positions because it was such a lucrative company… and then it dawned on him… as he ran through everything he knew about the company… he remembered the article in one of the magazines earlier in the year… he hadn’t seen it until now…

“We are doing something right if that is the response.” Taehyung said, watching as Jungkook’s eyes widened.

“You’re Kim Taehyung.”

“Is that a question or are you telling me that is who I am?”

“Are you? Are you _THE_ Kim Taehyung?”

“If you mean, am I the owner of Purple Aura, am I _that_ Kim Taehyung, then yes, I am.”

“Wow. That explains a lot.” 

It explained the snobbery and haughtiness, it explained the money that’s for sure. Jungkook scoffed as he thought back to the article in Vogue, the dashing CEO on the cover, the questions about his life and photos spread across two pages. 

“You probably know more about me than I do about you or at least now you have the upper hand.”

“True, does that mean that I should expect more questions?”

“There’s plenty I would like to know so you should definitely expect more.”

Jungkook scooted to the end of the seat “They will have to wait, I need to get back to work. Can I get you another tea or anything else to eat?”

“No, thank you, just the bill when you are ready.”

Jungkook nodded and headed towards the back of the diner with his empty cup, his mind boggled with the information that one of the richest men in the country wanted to get to know him. It didn’t make any sense and he made a mental note to make that a question that he needed the answer to because that was something Google wouldn’t tell him. He was lost in thought, entering his details onto the touchscreen, finding the order for the table Taehyung occupied. He printed out the receipt, making sure his iced latte was on it because he had willingly accepted the offer of a drink. The receipt was placed in a leather folder, he added some mints for good measure and was confused when he got to the table and Taehyung was nowhere to be seen. 

On the table was a neatly rolled cylinder of notes, sitting on top of two more notes and a business card. He picked it all up and scribbled on the back of a napkin was the message:

**You will find enough to cover the bill and a tip  
plus the money you wouldn't take yesterday.  
Contact me when you have the terms to accept it.  
KTH**

Jungkook stared at the words on the white paper napkin, he needed to get through his shift and find enough head space to give it some thought. He put the cylinder of money in his pocket, settled the bill with the two notes and put the change in the jar of tips for the kitchen staff. The napkin was folded and put away in his bag along with the business card, it was shiny and lilac with a darker purple border, he presumed to look like an aura. He stared at the name, the email address, company website, direct line and mobile number printed, wondering whether that was his personal number or a business phone? 

Suddenly he had a lot to think about outside of his usual routine, away from school and work. They were from worlds that were so far apart there was probably a whole universe between them but first he needed to know what a man like Kim Taehyung wanted with him.


	4. Terms

“Was that him? The rude prick, or whatever you called him?” Ash was fixing himself some toast before work.

“Was what who?” Jungkook said peering up from the textbook he was copying notes from.

“The guy you had the date with. The one you said was stuck up his own ass. Marsha sent me a text last night and asked me who the sexy guy was that you took your break with.”

“It could have been anyone, what makes you think it was him?” he says over the rim of the glass he is sipping orange juice from.

“First, you are totally avoiding the question so I’ll take that as a yes and second, I told you he would be back so I trust in my ability of being right all the time.” Ash couldn't help the cheerful tone as he spoke, knowing he was right.

Jungkook pursed his lips and rolled his eyes “Yes, it was him.”

“He is totally stalking you!” he blurts out in complete excitement.

“That’s what I told him.”

Surprise evident as Ash asks, “You did?”

“Yes, I did. He has this supposed list of all the negative words he has attributed to me so I told him he was a stalker. I don't get why he'd go to the trouble of this list but keep following me around.”

“He has a list? What words?” this was news to Ash.

“He says I’m ungrateful, manipulative, judgemental and some other things, I can’t remember.” the list had gotten so long that he couldn't recall every word that Taehyung had told him was on it. He also disagreed with most of the words anyway so switched off.

“But he still stalks you so it can’t be that off putting for him.”

“Exactly, why bother when I'm supposedly all these bad things?”

“He says all those negative things but persists on following you around so he must like you. Maybe he's a bit of a masochist? What did he want last night?”

“To give me the money I refused to take the other day in the subway.”

“And you just happened to have your break with him, which is totally like a second date, you know?” Ash walks into the lounge and winks several times with the piece of toast in his hand.

“Ash, you talk shit. It wasn’t a second date because there wasn’t a first date.” he huffs, chewing the end of his pen.

“Why does it feel like there’s something you’re not telling me? Why are you so secretive if you don’t like him? You are very evasive and selective when answering questions about him. Perhaps that's why he keeps coming back, to get the full answer to things."

“There’s a lot to consider, that’s all.” Jungkook hasn't been able to think of much else.

“Like? Oh come on! Tell me! Please, pretty please? I’m your bestest bestie, tell me, please?”

“Stop whining.”

“I will whine louder if you don’t tell me though.” he stuffs the piece of toast into his mouth and puts his hands together in a pleading gesture.

Jungkook took a deep breath and put down his book “Okay! But you can’t tell anyone.”

“Did you fuck him?” The tone a little higher than normal as his eyes opened wide.

“What? No! I’ve just said we haven’t been on any dates so how the hell did you leap to sex?”

“What else wouldn’t I be able to tell people?”

“Ash, shut up! You can’t tell anyone because I need to give it some thought…”

“Give what some thought?”

“...if you keep your mouth closed, I will tell you.”

“Sorry… okay… go.”

“The guy… it’s Kim Taehyung… as in _the_ Kim Taehyung.”

Ash stared at his friend “Purple Aura Kim Taehyung?”

“Yeah. He gave me his business card and told me to contact him once I’ve worked out the terms on which I will accept the money he gave me for busking”

“You’ve got Kim Taehyung as your stalker?”

“Yes, it would seem so.”

“Wow! Now, that is cool! What is there to think about? The guy is loaded! I definitely want that posh annex in your mansion.”

“I don’t even know where to begin with that. I don’t care that he is loaded. I don’t want his stupid money if he thinks that is how he gets what he wants. I’m not going to be bought, Ash. I didn’t like accepting his money before I knew who he was and knowing doesn’t change anything. He’s still an arrogant prick.”

“Of course he is, he’s rich. Most rich dudes think they’re better than everyone else, you know that. But he is hot! At least you didn’t get an ugly old rich guy stalker.”

“The fact that he is gorgeous doesn’t change anything, Ash.”

“You definitely fancy him.”

“I don’t.”

“You do, you answered too quickly. I’m always right so therefore, you do fancy him. Everyone, fancies him… everyone with eyes. I reckon there’s probably someone out there that doesn’t have eyes and fancies him, he is that fucking hot.”

“You are exaggerating.”

“So he isn’t hot?”

“He is but you are missing the point.”

“The point is that Kim Taehyung is rich, powerful, drop dead fucking gorgeous and he wants his dick up your ass.”

Jungkook looked quite disgusted “I can assure you _that_ won’t be happening.”

“Shut up! If he wanted to fuck you, like he obviously does, you aren’t turning that down.”

“Not everyone is as easy as you, Ash. Besides, I don’t bottom unless it’s a dildo so he will be very disappointed.”

“You don’t know what you’re missing out on. Even if I were some total dom, I’d let Kim Taehyung fuck me if he wanted to and I’d be his sub.”

“Like I said, not everyone is as easy as you.”

“You’ve got too many morals, that’s your problem.”

“I’ll tell him to add it to his list.”

“Oh! So you will be seeing him again?” Ash nudged Jungkook and wiggled his eyebrows.

“No, I haven’t decided, I was speaking metaphorically.”

“Yeah, yeah. Just send him the text and tell him that the terms are that he can give you money providing he’s a great fuck.”

“Go to work!” 

Ash made it out of the door as a cushion hurtled towards him, dodging it as he went, leaving Jungkook to go back to his text book. He couldn’t concentrate on the words leaping off the page, the business card was burning a hole in his pocket and he replayed his conversation with Ash over in his mind. There really was a lot to consider, Kim Taehyung had gone to a lot of trouble to find him and he wanted to know why.

***

Kim Taehyung was not the type to check his phone straight away when it alerted him to a message or an email, it was usually left for when he could be bothered to look or when he had time… it appeared that had changed and every time his phone chimed, he would check it. 

Kim Taehyung was not used to people who didn't jump at his word, usually he wouldn't even be asked 'How high?' because people just did it… it was 37 hours since he’d told Jungkook to contact him when he had the terms for accepting the money.

Kim Taehyung wasn't the type of man to chase anyone, even when they had something he wanted, he would find a way that they came to him… he'd left his car at home today and caught the train into work, thankful that the day was slightly cooler.

Kim Taehyung was work focused, driven by his career, that is what took up 99% of his thoughts… until recently when a certain busker kept creeping in and was definitely taking up more than 1% of his mind.

When he wasn't thinking about Jungkook, he was thinking about why he was thinking about him. He needed to solve all the mysteries surrounding him and get all the answers to his unanswered questions, then he was convinced that he'd be able to move on. It wasn't as if he had anyone to talk to, his friends would quite simply tell him not to be so stupid, they would tell him that he was categorically insane for even talking to the busker, let alone everything since. Over the years his group of friends have had various love affairs and relationships (apart from Jimin and Yoongi) they all preferred to hire a date if they needed one because their careers were too important for complications. They always vetted each other's dates if they did meet someone and rarely did they live up to expectations. 

Last year, Hobi met a gorgeous young man, he was brought in as a dance teacher to help him with new recruits after an influx of admissions at EGO. No one could deny the chemistry between them, that was obvious but Hobi started having doubts when he caught sight of the Calvin Klein underwear. He spoke to the group minus Jin and Yoongi who were away on business and Jimin was horrified because 'Calvin Klein was last decade’. They agreed that Hobi should give him a chance though because there was a possibility that it was a mistake and maybe it was the only underwear he could find that day. After that there was a string of further fashion mistakes that Jimin could not forgive (who wears Converse with a suit?) plus Tae pointed out that your appearance was the way you advertise yourself. The more time Hobi spent with him, the worse it got and the day he was invited to his home was the day he had to admit defeat when he drove to the address and turned into a road that was in a part of town that he didn't visit for a reason. One U-turn later and a phone call to the agency and he didn't see the guy again, in any capacity. A meal out with his friends was all that was needed to confirm he'd made the right decision especially when he admitted that he had been starting to feel anxious about having to invite the guy out to events if they'd got that far.

Tae knew that his friends wouldn't understand why he was so interested in the busker, in fact, he didn't even know why he was so interested or what he was even doing. It wasn't as if they could date, it wasn't anything like that but they couldn't even really be friends either, they had practically nothing in common and they were quite literally different species. 

And yet with all that being said, he was still walking down the steps to the subway, suit jacket over his arm and his briefcase held to his side. at 7pm after a long day at the office. He didn’t know what he would say to the busker, it wasn’t as if he could scold him for not contacting him and there wasn’t a lot he could say without looking desperate, which he most definitely wasn’t. He had yet to decide whether he liked this uncertain side that was appearing more and more, he was so used to everything being black and white that grey wasn’t familiar. He needed to get control of himself because this was ridiculous and he blamed the stupid drama for it all, even if it was a really good show.

***

Jungkook was sure that the business card was going to wear away as he twirled it around between his thumb and index finger again. If it wasn’t being moved around between his fingers, it was sat somewhere he could stare at it, which is pretty much all he’d done while attempting to work through the text book yesterday. When Ash got home after his shift at the diner, he punched Jungkook playfully, talked through the reasons he hadn’t yet messaged Taehyung, then rolled around on the floor, play fighting until Jungkook admitted he should make a decision.

He didn’t send a message.

He decided to sleep on it.

The classes were a slight distraction but not really because he didn’t know what to say to Taehyung. He didn’t want to go with Ash’s idea of straight up asking him for sex and money, hoping that his friend was joking when he’d suggested it. He reread the napkin and there were so many options to consider. He could say that the terms were a smoothie each time he was given money, he could stretch to a meal, he could suggest a coffee or he could simply just tell him that there aren’t any terms because he wouldn’t be accepting the cash. 

Jungkook wouldn’t be bought, that was for sure but he didn’t know what Taehyung was buying so his judgement was a little skewed. If he was buying him, what did he want? If he just wanted questions answered then perhaps they could do that over text message or email but then Jungkook would have to make the first move and send the message after all and he was back to square one of not knowing what to say. 

The truth of the matter was that he was curious for so many reasons and he knew he’d regret it if he didn’t see him again… but until he decided what to do with the message he would avoid him. Ash was surprised when Jungkook accepted the shift at the diner instead of busking after classes had finished and reminded him that Taehyung could just go to Dino’s if he wanted to find him. Jungkook was vehement that he was only doing the shift to help out the owners and it had nothing to do with avoiding Taehyung.

It was absolutely about avoidance. 

He walked along to Dino’s with his earphones in, he always had them both in his ears but the left one stopped working months ago. He was lost in thought, wondering how on earth his life had taken a turn where he was actually avoiding someone like Kim Taehyung. He was sure that no one else would believe him if he told them, the man that could have anyone he wanted and yet here he was expecting Jungkook to contact him.

Two hours into his shift he was sitting out the back, on an upturned crate in the sunshine, the business card in one hand, his phone in the other… he was going to send a message… this was the decision… but what to say?

Jungkook didn’t even know what his terms were, there wasn’t anything he could think of, he only suggested the smoothies because it was a hot day and he needed to think of something quickly at the time. He then thought about how out of place Taehyung looked at the diner and he hadn’t missed the look of disgust on his face the first time they went for a smoothie. At the time he didn’t think he would be seeing him again so he could let it pass, almost find it amusing… and then he had an epiphany.

He surmised that the way to stop Mr Kim Taehyung from stalking him was to put him off, to make the terms something he may not be keen on, to bring him out of his own ass… to get him to be more human… those would be his terms.

Jungkook  
Hi, it’s Jungkook. My terms for the money are that I will buy you lunch tomorrow, if you aren’t busy.

He reworded the message several times, he wasn’t usually a demanding or bossy person but this man seemed to bring it out in him, this man seemed to be bringing a lot out in him. He knew it was short notice and he knew that there was a distinct possibility that Taehyung would be busy with work but if he couldn’t make it then he’d offered his terms and that would be that. He checked the time, it was 7.05pm and his break was nearly up, he had once again lost time to the pompous man who was invading his life.

***

Kim Taehyung rarely did disappointment because his life was so successful, the only time it may happen is if he said he was disappointed in someone but probably wasn’t. Yet that was the only word to describe how he felt right now when he saw no sign of the busker and the subway was filled with noise that didn’t include his sweet voice. Instead of Jungkook singing, he could hear chattering, the odd burst of laughter and someone vomiting further down. He understood why someone would be sick down here, it was something he was surprised hadn’t happened to him. The whole atmosphere put him in a bad mood and without Jungkook to brighten the situation he couldn’t see the point of waiting the eight minutes for the next train. He considered returning to the office to finish off the powerpoint for the meeting he had on Friday, he always liked to be ahead so that would definitely work in his favour but once he was at the top of the steps in the fresh air he thought going home was the best option and took his phone from his pocket to contact his driver. Taehyung did not feel a miniscule spark of hope when he saw he had a message from an unknown number in his phone. This was a regular occurrence because he gave his business cards out all the time but he was slightly hopeful, not that he would admit that. When he read it, the hope faded and he screwed up his face, who did the busker think he was? Should he have expected any less when he told him to come up with terms for accepting the money, it was his own fault for leaving it so open ended.

Kim Taehyung is a man who learns from his mistakes so decided that next time he would have to put restrictions or an expiry date in place so that the busker wasn’t given so much freedom. If he had written that note now, with all this in mind he’d have stipulated his own terms and given him a timescale for replying but now he had to deal with what he was presented with. 

KTH  
I will consider your offer once I have checked with my PA. No singing today?

He toyed with the idea of that last part, deleted it a few times but couldn’t help but wonder why Jungkook hadn’t been in the subway so sent it anyway. There was always a way to wriggle out of something if the busker implied something that wasn’t true… because whatever he thought about Taehyung, wouldn’t be true.

Kim Taehyung was a man who liked instant results, if he left a meeting after tabling an offer, he expected to be stopped before he reached the door or at the very most, worse case scenario, contacted by phone whilst on his way back to the office. The only people who he accepted delays from, where his group of friends who were usually dropping him a quick message or email while working and rarely did the exchanges require any urgency anyway. When 15 minutes had elapsed and there wasn't any reply from Jungkook, he was slightly irritated, he thought that now the busker knew who he was, he would at the very least appreciate that he was a certain way but obviously not. Since he was walking to his office, caught up with the whole text saga instead of phoning his driver, he found himself taking a detour past the diner… purely out of curiosity because being busy was the only explanation for not replying to his message. 

Dino's was busy, very busy and he stood where he thought he couldn't be seen so he could watch through the window. What the hell had his life become, he was almost dying of embarrassment at the mere thought of what he looked like and what his friends would say. 

"Excuse me, Sir, would you like to come in?" A young girl asked him, startling him a little.

"Oh, I'm still not sure. I'm just waiting on a call and the noise level is relatively high in there." 

The young girl smiled "I can find you a table if you would like to come in."

"Do you work here?"

"Yes, I do."

"Do you know if Jungkook is working this evening?"

The girl's eyes widened and she grinned "Yes, he's in there, would you like me to tell him that you are here?"

"No! No, it's fine. We don't need to tell him anything, do we?" Taehyung handed the girl a note from his wallet. 

"Tell who what?" She said with a wink.

"You're a smart girl." He said.

"Are you wanting that table?"

"I'll have to decline, I really do need to wait for this call."

"It was nice to speak to you, Sir." The girl said as she turned and went inside.

Just as Taehyung twisted to leave, he saw Jungkook appear from the back and given that he looked busy, he decided he would allow him the delay on replying to his text this once.

"Why are you smiling at me like that" Jungkook asked as the girl walked past him.

"I'm not able to tell you." She said, tapping her nose with her finger.

Jungkook frowned and changed direction, following her "Tell me what?"

"I told you, I can't tell you."

"I always knew you were odd."

"Okay but you can't tell him that I told you." 

"Who?"

"The drop dead gorgeous guy in a suit who was outside."

Jungkook looked around then took the girl by the arm into the back "What guy? What are you talking about?"

"You can't tell him."

"You've not told me anything and I still don't know who it is that I'm not to tell whatever it is that you haven't told me."

They both thought about what Jungkook just said, both kind of confused.

"After I tell you, you can't tell him."

"Okay, okay."

"I saw this gorgeous guy standing outside and went to ask him if he needed a table. He asked if you were working."

"He didn't come in though?"

"No. He said he was waiting for a phone call but I think that was a big fat lie."

"I don't get what it is that you weren't allowed to tell me? What did he say?"

"He asked if you were working. I said yes and did he want me to tell you that he was there."

"And he didn't?" Jungkook had a sneaking suspicion that the man was Taehyung because it wasn't as if there were loads of gorgeous men in suits asking after him but it was only a suspicion.

"No. He paid me not to tell you."

It was confirmed and no longer a suspicion as soon as those words left her mouth. Jungkook rolled his eyes "Did he now? What exactly did he say?"

"He handed me this note rolled up and said we didn't need to tell you anything."

"Of course he did."

"He's so hot! You lucky guy!" she lightly slapped Jungkook on his arm.

"So I keep being told."

"You won't tell him though, right?"

"My lips are sealed." Jungkook smoothed his thumb and forefinger along the seam of his lips.

"Excellent!" 

The girl skipped off to her tables and Jungkook took a deep breath. He didn't understand Taehyung, he didn't get why he would come here but not come in and he most definitely didn't get what the big secret was. After his shift he looked at his phone and saw the message from Taehyung, he pondered his response but couldn't help but wonder if he'd gone to the subway to find him first, then tried the diner. He couldn’t fathom what was so interesting about him that the CEO of Purple Aura kept coming back. 

Jungkook  
No singing, I had a shift at the diner instead. Does your schedule allow for lunch tomorrow?

KTH  
1pm, outside the subway entrance.

Jungkook was surprised to have a reply so quickly then stared at the message. There was no question mark, he wasn't asking which made Jungkook want to change plans but he'd go along with it for now, since Taehyung had agreed to lunch at all. The reply in itself was irritating, the problem being that he wouldn't get the answers to anything if he didn't meet with him and as much as he reminded himself what curiosity did to the cat... he couldn't stop himself. 

Jungkook  
See you then.


	5. Hotdog

“If I tell you to fuck off, will you?” Jungkook asked Ash.

“No, I’m afraid that isn’t likely. Date number three huh?”

“Ash, I swear to God... “

“You can swear to whoever you want but you are seeing KTH a bit too regularly for these meetings not to be dates.” He stood with his arms crossed over his chest and his eyebrows raised so high they practically blended into his hairline.

“KTH?”

“Kim Taehyung.”

“Yeah… I know who it is, you idiot. Why are you calling him KTH?” Jungkook face palmed in despair.

“Because those are his initials, duh! Saying his full name takes too long when everything I have to say is vitally important. Taehyung isn’t short enough and since you haven’t been fucked by him yet and I’ve not seen him in his undies then I can’t really call him Tae or T.”

Jungkook was squinting at his friend, trying to take in everything he’d just said “Wow, there is so much wrong with that, I don’t know where to start.”

“What are you wearing for your date?”

“I’m wearing what I wear every day, Ash because it isn’t a date.”

“You are meeting a guy and buying him lunch, that is the very definition of a date unless you aren’t gay then it’s a bro date but you are gay so it is a regular date.”

“So if you are gay and meeting a guy, it can’t be a bro date?”

“I don’t think so. You and I have bro dates because I’m not gay, I mean I have questioned that in the past, especially when I met you but sadly it wasn’t meant to be.”

“I feel like every time you open your mouth I have more questions than you could answer.”

“Don’t forget you owe me dinner”

“For what?”

“Because I told you that you would go on a proper date and this is a date.”

“Isn’t a date meant to be with someone you are planning on spending time with romantically?”

“Exactly and you fancy the pants off KTH.”

“It doesn’t matter what I say, does it?”

“Nope.” Ash pursed his lips and shook his head.

Jungkook sighed “You are a complete nightmare. I don’t know why we are friends.”

“Because I’m one of very few people that doesn’t want to fuck you and I tell you the truth. Now what are you wearing?”

“You are also deluded. I’m wearing what I will wear tomorrow.”

“Combats and that t-shirt?”

“Yes, it isn’t as if I’m spoiled for choice now, is it?”

“You need to use some of that money for clothes, we should go shopping!” Ash exclaimed with both hands in the air.

“I hate shopping.”

“I know but I love it! We should go. You have enough spare don’t you?”

“I don’t know. It’s in my pot under my bed. I don’t need new clothes. What I have gets me by.”

“You are seriously the only gay I know that doesn’t like shopping or new clothes.”

“Can you stop talking now? If I’m late I will kill you because I hate being late.”

“You just don’t want to miss any precious seconds with KTH.”

Jungkook pushed Ash out of his room “Bye, Ash.”

Ash allowed himself to be pushed but hooked his fingers onto the door frame and made kissy noises, just to exasperate his friend further, managing to pull his hands away just as the door slammed shut.

**

Jungkook was late and he was cursing Ash as he approached the subway and could see that Taehyung was already there waiting for him. He hated rushing and he hated being late, he was always on time for everything and planned his day accordingly so he took a deep breath because he knew that the time wouldn’t go unnoticed by someone like Kim Taehyung who probably had every second of his day on a schedule.

The very same Kim Taehyung who looked like a model in navy blue tailored trousers and a white silk shirt that showed his forearms because the sleeves were rolled up to just below his elbows. The shirt was neatly tucked into the waistband of said trousers and instead of his usual tie, he had a thin silk patterned scarf tied around his neck. Jungkook felt underdressed as he walked towards him, even Taehyung’s hair was styled so it parted in the centre and the silver rimmed spectacles sat perfectly on the bridge of his nose. Jungkook was far enough away that the dramatic eye roll couldn’t be seen and several eye rolls later he thought he’d better stop it in case Taehyung’s eyesight was better than he thought. He did almost laugh to himself though because if Ash could see him right now he would definitely be reconsidering his sexuality or at least making out like it was an actual option, which he did often because he wasn’t afraid to say when someone was attractive regardless of gender. Jungkook told Ash in the past that he should accept that perhaps he shouldn’t worry about labelling himself and just enjoy whatever it is that he enjoys but he always said he could appreciate a man for his good looks and understand why someone would fuck him but it wasn’t for him… Jungkook thought that he might change his mind if he could see Taehyung right now with his bronzed skin on display at his neckline where the shirt’s revered collar sat open and how his waist tapered and looked so small accentuated by the white shirt into his trousers… of course that wasn’t what Jungkook himself thought… definitely not.

Taehyung raised his eyebrows and looked at the flashy watch on his wrist as Jungkook was within a few feet of him. 

“You can add ‘unpunctual’ to your list now.” Jungkook was irked, mainly with himself but seeing the way Taehyung checked his watch irritated him further.

“After that comment, I think I will add ‘impolite’ too.”

“You will need a larger sheet of paper at this rate.”

“Paper? I have enough storage on my phone to keep the list on there.”

Jungkook sighed, his manners eluded him and he should know better “Look, I’m sorry for being late, I would explain but it’s a boring tale involving my best friend, so… anyway, I apologise for keeping you waiting.”

Taehyung tilted his head slightly and looked at the busker with amusement “Your apology is accepted, you can tell me that boring tale over lunch, where is it that we are going?”

“The park on the corner, a few blocks down.”

“St George’s park, for lunch?” Taehyung knew where the park was, he had been there once when he’d been brave enough to skip a few classes in high school. His parents caught him playing basketball with a couple of friends after the school phoned them, he’d been in a lot of trouble that day and lesson learned, he never did it again.

“Yes, there’s a great hot dog stall to the right before you pass through the gates.”

Taehyung turned his head to prevent the very obvious look of disgust on his face, he should’ve guessed it wouldn’t be anywhere remotely civil. This was one of those situations where he knew it was on the list he’d written after watching that drama but after he realised the reality of his dislike for public transport he was more than content with banishing the list to the recycle bin and chastising himself for even considering such idiocy. After spending time in the subway, meeting the busker unexpectedly and visiting the smoothie place and the diner, he thought that was more than enough normality to last him a whole lifetime, much preferring his version of normality. In the drama, the Prince wanted to experience everything that the homeless man did and Tae thought it was endearing at first, now he had decided that he would leave that situation to the drama because stepping out of his comfort zone wasn’t as much fun as he’d hoped especially when so far he'd just spent too much time perspiring. Taehyung also decided that he wasn't a prince and he no longer saw the appeal of public transport etcetera, his friends were right, it was a stupid idea.

They walked down the street side by side, dodging the many people hurriedly going about their everyday lives, unable to talk properly because of the constant interruptions as people walked in between them. The flow of human traffic slowed as they turned the corner near the park, Taehyung wasn’t a fan of walking, it made him feel sweaty and he made a mental note to make sure he found out what the destination was next time so that he could arrange to be driven there… not that he had any glimmer of hope that there would be a next time… no.

“What would you like?” Jungkook asked as they approached the food stall.

Taehyung had no idea what he wanted because usually he would be handed a menu and could look through the items, sometimes written in french or japanese but he could read those. 

“What do you usually have?” this was his way out.

“The George and a shake,”he said casually.

“And that is?” Taehyung was clueless, he was kind of hoping that the explanation would be easier for him to grasp but he found reading french easier at this rate.

“Have you been here before?” Jungkook looked at Taehyung, standing side by side in the queue.

“Not really.” he said looking ahead.

“Not really? Or no?” Jungkook raised his eyebrows and smirked.

“No, I haven’t been here before.” Taehyung braced himself for the witty remark.

Jungkook suspected as much “Well, ‘The George’ is a double hotdog with bacon pieces, onions and a cheese sauce on it. I usually get tomato sauce and tell them to hold the mustard, oh and I get a banana shake.”

Taehyung half smiled “You eat all that?”

Jungkook ignored the feeling he got when Taehyung smiled “Yep, but it will probably be all I eat today so it will keep me going. The menu is up there if you want to choose.” he pointed up at the board, trying to ignore the fact that the CEO kept looking at him. 

“Why will it be all that you eat today?” Taehyung asked, looking up at the menu written on the board behind the man taking orders.

“It depends what food we have in and if Ash is at the diner I’ll probably just get some studying done. If Ash is working he'll more than likely bring dinner home.”

“Ash?”

“My best friend and roommate.”

“If he doesn't bring food home, what if you get hungry?”

“I won’t.” 

“What if you do?”

“Then I will see what we have in. Have you decided what you want?”

Taehyung was too caught up in what Jungkook was saying to absorb the words on the board “I’ll have the same as you.”

“You will? Are you sure?”

“What are you implying? That I can’t eat as much as you?” 

“No, not at all, I just didn’t think you’d… I don’t know what I thought.”

Taehyung liked the way Jungkook’s cheeks tinged pink when he was flustered and he liked the way little creases formed at the corners of his eyes when he smiled.

“Then perhaps you shouldn’t think and just order.” Taehyung suggested.

After ordering, they stood to one side while they waited for the food. Taehyung looked at how relaxed Jungkook was, which was the complete opposite to how he felt. Everywhere he looked he saw the type of people that he spent his whole life avoiding, they were the people he employed and who served him in the places he dined. He watched the way the busker joked conversed so naturally with the man like they were old friends, as he handed him the two hotdogs and placed the shakes on the counter, he refused to acknowledge the lone butterfly fluttering around in his stomach as he heard Jungkook laugh at something the man said.

"Do you want extra sauce?" Jungkook asked, turning to face Taehyung.

"No thank you, that's fine as it is." Taehyung couldn't ever remember eating a hotdog, he didn't have any idea whether it was fine or what sauce would be extra. The last sausage he ate was wild boar and apple, served on piped celeriac mash and drizzled with a rich red wine sauce in a restaurant where reservations were three months in advance. The prince in the drama had a hotdog, it was bought for him a well meaning member of public who felt sorry for him... obviously Taehyung knew the actor was playing a role but he was very convincing when he spat it out in disgust. 

Jungkook would've been lying if he said that he wasn't enjoying the constant look of uncertainty on Taehyung’s face, opting to carry the hotdogs himself while suggesting that the CEO take the shakes. He was curious as to why a man like Taehyung would put himself through such obvious discomfort for someone as normal as he was. He saw the look on his face earlier when Jungkook told him he probably wouldn't eat again today and he knew it was more than likely because Taehyung could have anything he wanted, whenever he wanted it. He also guessed that Taehyung has never gone without in his whole life.

They found a small table, the two metal chairs were quite weathered but they were sturdy. Jungkook watched Taehyung put the drinks down and give the chair seat a once over with his eyes before actually sitting down.

“Do you come here a lot?” Tae asked, not quite knowing how best to go about eating the hotdog.

“Are you going to ask me that every time I take you somewhere?” Jungkook positioned his napkin so that it would catch any stray sauce or bacon pieces, pulled down the cardboard end so it acted as a lip to the box and took a big bite out of the hotdog.

“How audacious to presume there will be other occasions after this one.” Taehyung knew there would be, he looked into the face of the man who had sauce smeared on his top lip and was happily munching away.

Jungkook swallowed the mouthful he had “When we were at Dino’s, you said there was lots you wanted to ask me so unless you were planning on handing me a questionnaire, it is only natural to presume that we would be doing this again.”

“Maybe next time I will choose the location.” Taehyung said as he took a bite of the hotdog.

“Are you implying that my choices are bad?” he said just before taking another bite, he was halfway through and enjoying it immensely.

“No, I wasn’t implying anything but if that is how you perceive it, that is your prerogative.” he wasn’t sure if he liked the hotdog, it was messy and the cheese sauce glued itself to the roof of his mouth.

“Why do you have so many questions?" he asks after swallowing a mouthful of hotdog. 

“Because you spiked my interest and if something interests me I like to find out more about it.”

“Okay but I have a condition.”

Taehyung was intrigued because he’d allowed Jungkook to state his terms a few times now but it wasn’t an option this time. “Do you now?”

“I do…” he swallowed the last bite and screwed up the flimsy cardboard box “...no more big bundles of money.”

Taehyung raised his eyebrows “I told you, I like to show my gratitude and always tip well.”

“You still can, just not with me.”

“But it is because of the money that you are here and it was the reason we had the smoothie the first time.” Taehyung had eaten enough, there wasn’t a lot left but his insides were already complaining about the processed meat and white breaded hotdog roll.

“I am aware of that, which is why I have the condition that I do.”

“What reason would you have for meeting with me again if I haven’t paid you.” as the words left his lips he could see the expression change on Jungkook’s face, he’d offended him and even though it was technically a fact, he could see it hadn’t gone down well.

“For your information, I am not here because you paid me! I am here because I choose to be because I could have taken that money and not contacted you. This was the only way I could accept that money and not feel like shit but thanks for pointing it out and making me feel like shit anyway!” 

Jungkook stood up and Taehyung thought he was going to leave. He rose from his seat and started following him as he left the table, grabbing the two cups and cursing under his breath as the squashed box with the remainder of hotdog in it leaked out onto his hand.

“Wait! You misunderstood me.”

The busker turned around when he reached the litter bin, throwing the box and napkins in first “I think you were quite clear but you can add ‘accusatory’ to your list now.”

Taehyung sighed, he was annoyed that this bothered him so much, it was all so much effort and it was quite simply draining but he couldn't just walk away now, it made no sense and he had absolutely no clue as to what 'this' was or what 'this' could be. “Maybe I have conditions too?”

“Draw up a contract and I’ll get my lawyer to look over it.” his tone was dry as the sarcasm dripped from his words. 

“I’m definitely adding ‘sardonic’ to the list.”

“Whatever pleases you.” Jungkook turned to leave.

In that moment, Jungkook was the sand pouring through an hour glass, “Can we start again?” Taehyung held out one of the cups in Jungkook’s direction. The scene looked a bit silly, the man dressed in combats, tattered boots and a t-shirt, with his back to the man who looked like he'd just stepped off a catwalk who was clutching one cup and holding the other in his outstretched hand.

Jungkook took a deep breath and looked over his shoulder, stopping at Taehyung's words, his expression less than impressed. "Start again? How far back would you like to go? Should I start singing so you can throw money at me and expect that money to get you whatever it is that you want?"

"I thought we could start today again but I'd be more than impressed if you started singing." Taehyung felt a little out of his depth, he wasn't accustomed to having to work so hard, especially with someone like Jungkook.

The busker turned his body towards Taehyung and took the cup from him "I'm not going to sing and I'm not going anywhere with you again if you've given me money."

"No more tips?"

Jungkook shook his head, "No. No more tips."

Taehyung discarded the rubbish in his hand "Okay. I get to choose where we meet next time though." He thought he may be pushing his luck but a part of him wanted to see if the busker would spend time with him again.

"Providing my condition is upheld, you can choose where we meet next time. You have my number, text me when you have decided." He smiled and turned away, walking through the gates, not looking back but wanting desperately to look over his shoulder.

Taehyung stared after him… what else could he do? No one ever chooses to walk away from Kim Taehyung, he was infuriated, relieved and perplexed all at the same time... what on earth was he doing?


	6. Catalysts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Introducing... Stefan :-)
> 
> I know that once a week feels like forever for updates and I would like to go to twice a week at some point. It feels like forever for me between uploading chapters so you aren't alone. 
> 
> Thank you to everyone who is reading a long and joining me on this journey, I love reading your comments.
> 
> x M x

The audacity of the man! Taehyung didn't ever take his emotions into the office but he'd paced the room, glared at his PA to the point where the poor boy swiftly closed the door and walked out and pressed the keys on his keyboard hard enough that the sound bounced off the walls. Once the shock subsided that the busker had so nonchalantly turned his back on him, he had to consider his options. There wasn't anyone he could speak to about it because he knew what his friends would say and he didn’t even really know what to say to them. He didn’t have a sounding board and could've done with someone completely disconnected to his life to rant at. He had considered phoning one of his group but they would ask why it matters so much and Taehyung didn't have an answer for that. They would definitely question why Taehyung was allowing a busker to wind him up so much when he should just be able to shrug him off but he wouldn't be able to respond to that either. Usually, when it came to a problem, Taehyung would make a decision based on research and facts, perhaps seek the knowledge of an expert but this situation didn't seem to fit any of his usual issues. There may be times when he would seek out his Mother or Father for advice but it was all a bit spontaneous and ad-hoc right at this moment in time and they would be at work.

“Stefan, could you come in here please?” he said, choosing to walk to the door instead of using the phone.

Stefan looked up sharply and fumbled around as he stood up, he dithered a bit and rushed out from behind his desk, grabbing his tablet in case he needed to take notes.

“You won’t need that.” Taehyung said, pointing at the tablet in his hands as he gestured for the boy to sit down.

“You won’t need me to take notes, Sir?” Stefan looked at his boss with his big blue eyes and blonde hair curling around his face. Taehyung always thought he looked angelic and much younger than he was. 

“No, not right this minute. I need to brief you on a personal situation and would prefer this conversation to be confidential.” Taehyung walked over to his coffee machine, he didn’t like coffee, it was far too bitter but he could swallow an espresso if the need arose and right now, he couldn't really have a glass of brandy so coffee would have to do.

Stefan was confused, the words his boss had uttered made sense but it was definitely not a familiar situation he found himself in. “Everything that happens here is confidential, Mr Kim, Sir.”

“One or the other, Stefan, please just settle on Sir or Mr Kim.”

“Sorry.”

“An apology isn’t necessary.”

“Okay, Mr Kim.” Stefan shuffles a little in his seat. 

“This personal situation is causing me a bit of bother and it is something I’m not accustomed to so I need to run it past someone. Are you comfortable with that?”

“Oh...err… yes, Sir… sorry… Mr Kim.” this was indeed, unfamiliar territory.

Taehyung sighed, he may have to give up on how Stefan addresses him altogether because he spends more time correcting him than anything else. 

“The thing is that I met this man on the subway and the situation is a little dire. It has no future and it can’t go anywhere but I’m finding it increasingly problematic to distance myself.” Taehyung sat down behind his desk.

Stefan was blinking more than usual “When you say that you met someone? Do you mean romantically?”

Taehyung suspected that he wasn’t being very clear but this wasn’t something he did often. “No, well, I don’t think so.”

“I’m sorry, Sir but I’m not quite sure what it is that you are asking me. How did you meet this man?”

Taehyung cringed internally as he knew he would have to admit it and he hadn’t said it out loud yet “He was singing on the platform.”

Stefan didn’t look shocked or surprised, he looked like he was deep in thought and concentrating on the information that he was being provided with. It was his unfazed expression that told Taehyung that he’d made the right choice to speak to him about it. His friends would definitely have formed an opinion the second the words left his mouth and there wasn't an ounce of uncertainty about that and he knew they would be correct in every piece of advice that followed. If this was Hobi or Namjoon telling him this story, he would be giving them the same advice that he knows they would give him, he'd been there before and knows he should be taking the advice he'd given them in the past.

"Okay, so you started talking to him when you saw him singing? He's a busker, right?" Stefan felt comfortable talking to his boss but wasn't quite sure how free he could be when it came to asking questions so tried to phrase them appropriately.

"Yes, I started talking to him then and yes he busks."

"Have you spoken to him just the once?"

"Stefan, if I'd only spoken to him once, I wouldn't be discussing this with you."

"Yes, Mr Kim Sir, but you have to understand that I am trying to grasp the issue."

"There is definitely an issue, I can assure you of that."

"So… you have spoken to this man several times?" this was like a puzzle that he was trying to make sense of.

"Yes. We have been for a smoothie and we've had lunch. I've also eaten at the place he works at and he spent his break talking to me."

"Wow, okay…" Stefan sat back to let the new information sink in.

"What do you mean by 'wow'? Why 'wow'?" Taehyung asked.

"Because there must be mutual attraction there in order to have spent so much time together. Would you mind if I continued asking questions and speaking my thoughts out loud, Sir?"

Taehyung leaned back in his leather chair and pivoted from side to side "By all means." He was more than happy to answer questions and allow Stefan to dictate this conversation because it meant he wouldn't be offering any information up that wasn't needed… like the worn boots that really bothered him or the fact that the only reason they'd had the smoothie and the hotdog was because of the money and the terms he'd been presented with.

"Have you kissed him?" he did wonder if this question was a little too personal but he came to the conclusion that he had to get the full picture if he is to offer his opinion.

Taehyung recoiled "what? No, absolutely not."

Stefan smiled "But you do like him? As a person? You must like him to spend time with him."

"I suppose I like him, yes."

"And he must like you so let us presume that he does. Why do you say there is no future in it?" he was running over everything the CEO had said.

Taehyung found this whole conversation incredibly uncomfortable. "Because we are two very different people and even if I was interested in him romantically, which I'm not, it has no legs so to speak."

"Excuse me for being so bold and speaking so freely, Sir but if you are not interested in him romantically, I doubt we would be having this conversation at all."

"Hypothetically, let's say I am, only hypothetically."

Stefan forced away the smile that threatened his face. "Okay, hypothetically, you are both interested in a romantic relationship but you feel you are too different, right?"

"Hypothetically, yes."

"Surely that is all a part of the enjoyment of getting to know someone? You would be introducing each other into worlds that you've not experienced and will be treated to new things. That has to be more interesting than meeting someone who dines at the same places, watches the same shows, visits the same venues?"

Taehyung admired Stefan’s outlook, it sounded so simplistic.

"I suppose you could look at it like that but what if we are too different, our worlds are too extreme?"

"Mr Kim, Sir, I am sure there is common ground somewhere. The world you live in is what you make it and if you both really want to be together, you will find beauty in each other."

“That sounds like you read too much fiction, Stefan or perhaps you watch too many dramas?”

“May I suggest that you do not watch or read enough, sir?”

“You are free to suggest what you will during this conversation. It doesn’t change the notion that the cavern between our lives is vast in this hypothetical situation.”

“My honest opinion is that there is a foundation there, there must be for you to have come this far. You just have to live in the moment, if you enjoy his company then that’s a start. If you both want to spend time together, you will find a way. Things are black and white, Mr Kim, you either like him enough to pursue this or you don’t and if you don’t then your choice is simple. The only grey areas are the ones you are putting there yourself.”

Taehyung was concentrating on everything his young, angelic PA was saying and perhaps the grey areas were put there by his own thought process. He wasn’t convinced by everything he was saying but at the very least it was food for thought and Taehyung liked to learn from his mistakes. It was obvious that he continued making mistakes with Jungkook but he couldn’t understand what he was doing wrong, each mistake different, which didn’t help. He wasn’t usually bothered if someone liked him or not but he did want Jungkook to like him, he knew that much, he didn’t know why but he knew he did. 

“It doesn’t feel so simple.” he muttered.

Stefan stood to leave “Sir, the situation doesn’t feel simple because there are feelings involved, they might only be fledgling feelings but they are there and they will muddy the waters.”

“Thank you for your time, Stefan. I realise this is a little out of the ordinary and not part of your job description.”

“It really isn’t any trouble, Mr Kim, I hope you can work things out. He must be a nice guy to be causing you this much trouble.”

As Stefan left Taehyung’s office, his words floated through the air and danced around his head. Was it trouble? Did he have feelings? The latter felt like a stretch if he was honest, he hadn’t really decided whether he liked Jungkook all that much, he had to assume that he must like him though… but feelings? 

****

Ash was laughing, the type of laugh that echoed around the bus he was currently on.

"If we weren't in public I would beat you." the words forced out through gritted teeth.

"Well at least you won't have to worry about KTH anymore eh?" Ash said, shoving Jungkook with his shoulder.

"Why?" There was a lot of confusion on Jungkook’s face.

"I quote: the man is a fucking arsehole and I hate him." Ash raised his eyebrows.

"Yes, well, that is true."

"So you won't be seeing him again then? Because I wouldn't be spending time with someone I hate, who is a fucking arsehole, oh and an arrogant prick." Ash looked smug.

"I don’t know if I'm seeing him again, he hasn't text me."

"Oh, so you will see him again if he wants to see you? Does that make him less of an arsehole?"

"Ash, fuck off."

Ash laughed again "The sooner you stop being a prick, yourself, the sooner you can just admit you like him and then we can discuss what you think he's like between the sheets."

Jungkook shoved his friend again "And why would I want to discuss that with you?"

Ash winked and giggled "You didn't deny you like him and you have definitely thought about being fucked by him."

"I've told you before, I do the fucking, not the other way around."

"So you wouldn't bottom for KTH?"

"No, I wouldn't."

"Well that's confirmed that you've thought about it."

"So what if I have?"

Ash was laughing again "I love these conversations, we always find out how right I am eventually. It wouldn’t be as much fun though if you admitted it all straight away." 

"You are the most annoying person I have ever known and will probably ever know."

"That is why I deserve that annex in your mansion once you and KTH are married with a dog."

"It was a cat last time?"

"Now you have a dog too."

"What next? A horse?"

"You will definitely have stables! You do like him then? Because this is one hell of a conversation if you don't."

"I'm humouring you with this hypothetical situation."

"Oh, is that what you're doing? Silly me."

"I thought you might shut up sooner if I play along."

Ash laughed out loud "I might be annoying but you are in denial so much that I'm convinced you were a Pharaoh in your past life."

"What has Egypt got to do with this?"

"That’s where De Nile is"

"Oh my god, please stop."

Ash was far too busy laughing, tears welling in his eyes, he didn’t notice the bus had stopped until Jungkook was dragging him off.

Jungkook apologised to the bus driver for taking so long to exit the vehicle and hoped his friend would pull himself together soon. "You are ridiculous. How do you crack yourself up like that? You don't make anyone else laugh."

"I do. But that was comedy gold. I'm funny."

Jungkook was about to respond when his phone vibrated in his pocket.

KTH  
Are you working at the diner today?

JK  
Yes, on my way there now, why?

KTH  
I would like to join you for your break and an iced latte.

JK  
A hot vanilla latte and I will consider it.

KTH  
If you will let me buy it as an apology for the park then I will see you later.

Jungkook stared at the message, stopping a few steps short of the diner “oh my god” he said to himself but Ash heard.

“What? Is that the hated one?”

“He wants to apologise.”

“For what?”

“He said ‘for the park’ so I’m presuming he means when he annoyed me.”

Ash grabbed Jungkook by the arm and moved him out of the way as people walked around them “Is he less hated now?”

“If I admit that I like him will you stop throwing my words back at me?”

“No because it’s funny and your contradictions amuse me.”

Jungkook rolled his eyes “I should let him apologise though or that makes me a prick.”

“You are a prick.”

“Thanks. It takes one to know one.”

“Does his apology involve shoving his dick up your ass?”

Jungkook decided that it was better to ignore his friend “he wants to join me on my break today.”

“Definitely say yes, absolutely yes. I get to see how much you hate each other in person.”

“You are staying away from us while he is here, got it?”

“Understood…. maybe .” Ash said with a wink and a wicked grin.

“Ash! I mean it! Please?”

“Why are you so bothered huh? I will stay out of the way so I can be officially introduced when he walks out of your bedroom in his Gucci panties.”

“I’m not bothered and I’m ignoring that last part.”

“You carry on, Tutankhamun.”

They walked into Dino’s and Jungkook replied to the text as he was getting himself ready, Ash giving him a wink and a shove while laughing.

JK  
Your terms for the apology are accepted. My break should be at 8pm.

Taehyung read the reply and a small smile formed, he liked the banter between them, that was one thing he knew for sure, he found the busker to be quite witty when he wasn’t being rude. He looked at the time and decided he would stay at the office and work until it was time to leave. The screen in front of him had Google glaring at him, he needed to decide on where their next meeting would be after today and he had no idea where to take him. The first thought was to take the busker to his favourite restaurant but he quickly dismissed that idea because faded combats and worn boots wouldn't get him into the street it was in, let alone past security on the door. It would look like he was treating a homeless person to dinner and he quickly moved on with his thoughts.

They were too different.

***

Jungkook was sure that time had slowed dramatically, he kept checking the large clock on the wall, which he loathed himself for doing, especially when Ash caught him doing it.

"You really must be dreading seeing KTH, checking the clock for the moment of doom eh?"

Jungkook wanted to wipe the very smug grin off of his friend's face but he would only respond with something annoying like "Thou does protest too much" Which is exactly what he said 30 minutes later when Jungkook was trying to sneak a glance at the time.

Taehyung was like a rash. The type that irritates you constantly but when it isn't there anymore, the feeling lingers and you sort of miss it being there because you'd got used to it. Perhaps a rash wasn't the best analogy but he couldn't think of anything else to try and explain why he couldn't get the man out of his mind. The plan to get Taehyung to not want to stalk him anymore wasn't really going too well and he didn't understand why he bothered. They were so different, everywhere Jungkook had taken him, he'd stood out like a sore thumb and he didn't look impressed with any of it. He had enjoyed watching him with the hotdog though, it amused Jungkook immensely how he acted as if it was the first time he'd eaten one.

"Stop daydreaming, lover boy is here" Ash said nudging Jungkook who was staring into space while preparing drinks for table four.

"Can you finish these? I've got 25 minutes until my break. I'll go and take his order."

"I can't wait to see you two snogging each other's faces off, being all sickly and lovey" 

"You'll see that around the same time as you get that annex"

"I'll take that as you inviting me to live with you both, thanks"

"Shut up, Ash."

Ash just grinned as Jungkook walked out into the main restaurant area to meet the man who looked like a model as always. Jungkook wondered how he looked impeccable after being at work all day, his grey suit uncreased, his tie, perfectly straight and his hair fluffier than he'd seen it but still styled to perfection. He considered that he'd gone home to change but the briefcase told him otherwise so he was happy to presume he'd come straight from Purple Aura Towers (as the locals liked to call it).

Urgh! Jungkook was disgusted with himself when a smile naturally appeared when Taehyung looked at him approach, standing near the table as he placed his briefcase onto the seat first, sliding in after it. There really wasn't anything he should be smiling about, even if he was incredibly good looking and staring at him with a piercingly soft gaze.

"You're early." Jungkook said as he reached the table.

"One of us has to be." Taehyung responded.

"I already apologised for being late."

"I know and your apology was accepted, as I hope mine will be, for my misunderstood comments in the park. Good evening, by the way."

"Good evening. What would you like to order?" Jungkook didn't agree that it was a misunderstanding in the park, he genuinely believed that Taehyung thought he'd basically bought his time with him but they always seemed to start off on the wrong foot so he decided to see how his break went before he told him what his thoughts on the 'misunderstanding' were.

Taehyung looked amused but Jungkook wasn't entirely sure what was amusing.

"I will have some calamari, a lemon tea, a _hot_ vanilla latte and you can choose another dish to share with me on your break."

Jungkook couldn't prevent himself from smiling at the emphasis on 'hot' since that's what he'd said in his text. 

"I will be back with your order soon. If that is all?"

"It is. See you shortly."

Taehyung released the breath that he hadn’t realised he was holding as Jungkook turned and walked away. For a second there he thought he’d blown it again, the brief second he stopped smiling after he’d mentioned his lateness had Taehyung convinced things would go sour. He kind of got the impression that they rubbed each other up the wrong way but he couldn’t be something he wasn’t and he didn’t know what it was that kept getting him into trouble. There wasn’t anyone else in his life that he pissed off on a regular basis so it wasn’t a situation with which he was familiar, therefore he certainly didn’t know how to stop it happening. He’d thought a lot about everything Stefan said to him, the one thing he’d had to admit is that he did like Jungkook, he must do in order to explain why he persisted in coming back and wanting to see him. That was one tiny part of the puzzle in place but the remaining puzzle pieces had been placed into a big bag with the pieces of many different puzzles and shaken up and he had no idea how on earth he was going to complete it because he kept getting it wrong.

It was just after 8pm when the busker returned with Taehyung’s order, the two dishes and drinks balanced on one tray in his hands. As he placed the tray on the table Taehyung’s phone rang and he excused himself, answering the call as he made it out of the diner.

“Yes?” he said without looking at the screen.

“What a lovely greeting.” the soft tone of Jimin floated through the device. Taehyung always thought that he should have been a singer because he seemed to sing as he spoke.

“I didn’t look before I answered. What’s up?”

“Are you outside?”

“Mochi, what is it? I am positive that you haven’t called me to enquire about my view.”

“Did that deal with Moonchild fall through?”

“No, why?”

“You sound like you’re in a bad mood and the last time we spoke you were waiting for a signature.”

“I’m not in a bad mood, I got the contract on Monday.”

“So, what’s eating you?”

“Nothing. Was there a reason for your call?”

“Obviously. I’m in town tomorrow evening, Jin flies in at 6pm and we’ve booked a table at Blue Side for 8pm.”

“I’ll be there.” Taehyung looked in through the window and could see Jungkook sitting alone at the table drinking his drink. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Sure. See you at 7:50.”

Taehyung put his phone in the inside pocket of his jacket and walked quickly into the diner, he felt bad for leaving Jungkook sitting alone and if he’d seen it was Jimin calling he would have returned the call later. 

“I’m sorry about that.” he said, sliding into the seat opposite Jungkook.

“Business?”

“Something like that.”

“I ordered you loaded potato skins, it’s another favourite of mine. Enjoy.” Jungkook started to slide out from the booth.

“You’re going?”

“My break is nearly over.”

“I didn’t even get the chance to apologise.”

“You did, I just drank it.”

Taehyung felt rushed and annoyed, out of all the times that Jimin could have picked to phone him, it had to be during the short time he was meant to be smoothing things over with Jungkook. Now he didn’t have a plan and everything was rapidly flying out of the window “Could we try this again?” 

“My break?”

“I was referring to us meeting up.”

“Tomorrow night, I’m free after six, why don’t you come to my place and I’ll cook?” 

Jungkook had thought about places they could go after the park disaster. He considered ten pin bowling, cinema and the arcades but they all cost money which he didn't have in abundance right now. The extra money that Taehyung gave him was stored away for his school fees and dire emergencies should one crop up, like when their microwave blew up last Xmas because Ash left aluminium foil on the bowl he put in there. Money was tight and so he needed to come up with the cheapest ideas possible, one of those was to cook for Taehyung. It would probably just be dried ramen and chicken but he could ask the chef in the kitchen at Dino’s if he had any vegetables they were due to throw away as he was usually allowed to take it off their hands. He knew that if Marie knew he was asking the chef that she would probably cook an entire dinner, make out that it was leftovers and give it to him so sometimes he liked speaking to the chef without anyone else knowing. He also thought that perhaps… maybe… there was a possibility… a slim chance that a relaxed atmosphere might help Taehyung to stop being so annoying.

Tae was about to accept, even if his mind flooded with an element of surprise by the offer as well as instant concern about the sort of place he'd have to go to, when he remembered the call from Jimin.

"I can't do tomorrow, that phone call earlier was about tomorrow night."

Jungkook raised his eyebrows "the business call?" there was a tinge of skepticism in his voice.

"Yes, that call, I only had the one. Can we postpone for another evening?"

"I'm free the evening after? If it isn't too short notice for you." 

"Had I not had that call, I may have been free tomorrow so the night after isn’t short notice. I will check my schedule but I am positive that I am available. Is 7pm suitable?"

"7 is fine. Should I text you my address?"

"I don't have superpowers, I can't read minds so yes please."

"I'm yet to discover anything super about you to be honest."

"I think I should add 'ruthless' to that list."

Taehyung looked at the man who had taken a step to the side so he was standing at the end of the table. He felt things had taken a nosedive again but he didn't know why… again.

"Well, my break is definitely over and I don't want to get into trouble, enjoy your food and thank you for the latte."

"You're welcome, I appreciate you ingesting my apology."

Jungkook gave Taehyung a small smile and walked towards the back of the diner. Ash stopped smiling as soon as he saw the look on Jungkook’s face, it didn’t look like his break had gone well at all. When Taehyung let the diner, he left a note for Jungkook that made him smile (to himself of course):

THIS COVERS THE FOOD AND BEVERAGES.  
THE TIP IS FOR THE CHEF.  
KTH

The tip was modest and slightly more than the average customer would leave but it did spark a small reaction in Jungkook… maybe there was a redeemable quality in Kim Taehyung after all.


	7. Formidable

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Introducing... the group
> 
> x M x

Taehyung was sitting at his desk, pushing his phone left and right with his fingers. He’d just been to one of the world’s most boring meetings that seemed to drag on for much longer than the 2 hours 37 minutes that he was in the room. It was one of those investor meetings where he had absolutely zero intention of investing in anything so his mind wandered to the place it went to a lot these days… Jungkook. 

Earlier that morning he’d been surprised when Stefan had asked him how he was and while they were having their morning briefing, he’d asked if there was an update on his situation. At first, Taehyung was taken aback by the personal question but Stefan asked in such a way, asking if he could ask once he’d got business out of the way, that Tae thought it was kind of him. Stefan looked puzzled as Taehyung explained what happened in the same undetailed way that he explained everything where Jungkook was concerned. 

“If you don’t mind me saying, I’d have been annoyed if you’d asked me to spend my break with you then you’d disappeared for most of it.”

“I wasn’t expecting a personal call, I was planning on shutting down whoever it was. It was never my intention to allow the situation to happen as it did.”

“Did you tell him that?” Stefan asked.

“Not in so many words.” Taehyung thought he’d let Jungkook know that he was sorry by asking if they could meet again… that made it clear, didn't it?

“Mr Kim, Sir, while you were outside on the phone, he was probably getting annoyed because you left him on his own and when you came back he’d wasted his break. You initiated the date to apologise but then you left him alone.”

“Date? No it wasn’t a date. Okay, I can accept your perception of the situation and how he was more than likely annoyed with me. That would explain his attitude.”

Stefan smiled, the most obvious thing about his boss was how he was utterly clueless at times and for someone so astute and intelligent, he was quite dumb when it came to this situation. He wasn't focusing on the man he was spending time with, possibly expecting him to behave the same way as everyone else in his life, which from what Stefan knew already, was not going to happen.

"What kind of attitude?"

"He told me that there isn't anything super about me." Taehyung was slightly irked by the comment if he was honest.

"Did you ask him?" Stefan was shocked.

The CEO looked confused, "Ask him what?"

"For a compliment"

"No! I don't need a compliment from someone like him."

Stefan was now annoyed and was feeling sympathy for the busker.

"Sir, if you don't mind my honesty, I would like to say that it is maybe your attitude that is causing the problem."

Taehyung sensed yet another conversation where the circumstances had turned sour, this was becoming a regular occurrence and one he thought was limited to Jungkook but evidently not.

"What attitude?"

"Mr Kim, you just said 'someone like him', which is really derogatory. I am a normal guy like him so I took offense to it, I am probably more like him than I am like you. Also, it is 'someone like him' that you are trying to get to know because you like him."

"I will take that on board, I apologise for any offence caused, it wasn't intentional. I appreciate you giving me your opinion."

Throughout the investors meeting, Taehyung’s mind was replaying his chat with Stefan and the conversation with Jungkook at the diner. He thought that perhaps people like them were far too sensitive because he was of the opinion that getting worked up over such simple things was a bit silly. He thought about what would happen if he allowed himself to be affected by every triviality in a meeting or other area of dealing with people who weren't very happy with him. He decided he would permanently be in a mood and that's why he had to let such things wash over him but Jungkook and Stefan were not like him, obviously. 

He was ready for food and some decent conversation by the time he handed his key fob to the car park attendant at Blueside, sometimes he had the space near the front reserved for him and other times he used their parking service. He knew that Jin, Namjoon and Hobi wouldn't be here yet because they were the worst at time keeping out of their group. He semi scoffed to himself as he was shown to their table and saw that two out of the three were missing.

Jimin jumped up and embraced him, kissing him on both cheeks because that was who Jimin was. Jin and Yoongi stayed seated but gave him a big smile as he took his seat.

"The flight was on time then?" Tae asked Jin who was pulling a face at the wine he'd taken a sip of.

"What is this?" Jin asked Jimin before looking at Tae "Early would you believe?"

"I don't drink wine, I just ordered the bottle that had the prettiest label." Jimin said in his defence.

"Because of your career, I forgive that logic but next time please leave the wine to me." Jin said as he waved over the young man dressed impeccably in his navy blue uniform.

"Usually, if it looks good, it tastes good, I mean just take my boyfriend for example…" 

"No! No thank you, Mochi." Tae interrupted, knowing exactly where the shameless conversation was heading.

“Just because you don’t get any.” Jimin said, leaning over and kissing Yoongi on the cheek.

“That is irrelevant, I could be having the best sex of my life and I still don’t want to hear about yours.” Tae said to his friend.

“You do realise that we are on dessert?” Yoongi said when he saw Namjoon and Hobi approach the table. 

“You do realise that you say that too often?” Namjoon said, taking his seat beside Yoongi.

“You do realise that I only say it because you are late all too often?” 

“We like to save the best until last, stop complaining.” Hobi added, pulling out his chair and picking up a menu.

“I heard that Moonchild signed?” Jin said to Tae while nodding in appreciation at the wine he’d chosen.

“Eventually but yes. A supermodel tantrum obviously did the trick.” 

“They need to up their game if they are going to compete with the big boys.” Jimin added.

A quiet ‘tink, tink, tink’ sounded as Jin tapped his glass with his nail “Their recent collection was better but they definitely need Purple Aura. Some heavy advertising for their next season’s collection and that should help.”

“Have you got ideas, Tae?” Namjoon asked.

“I do and they involve you lot. I’ve been looking at their past advertising and it’s been non existent, aside from their name on the boards for the show.”

“What do you need?” Jin asked.

“I want the campaign to have you as the focus, Jin, you are a big name in the modelling world and that alone will get attention. The advertising period will fall around awards season so I’m thinking that it wouldn’t be a bad thing if your names were thrown into the public. Yoon, could you do something with the music, I want edgy?”

“I can do that. I don’t have plans for another comeback until the new year so promotions are slowing down.”

“Joon, I might want your advice on the set, Hobi… can you give me two dancers if I tell you what I’m looking for?”

Joon nodded as Hobi spoke “Sure. We’ve just opened up applications for the next intake so all our students are established. You should have a good range to choose from.”

“Mochi, will you have time to come and lead the stylists on set?”

“Depends on the timing because you know how awards season gets but I’ll make time for you. I saw the worst advert yesterday so it would be good to get involved.”

“One of mine?”

“No, not a Purple Aura ad. If it had been one of yours, you’d have known about it.” Jimin crossed his legs.

They ordered their mains, which came out exactly 30 minutes after their starters had been collected and chatter continued.

“Are you still due to be in Europe on the 14th of next month, Tae?” Jin asked his friend.

“It’s been put back to the month after.”

“I’m in Paris then, send me your schedule and we can meet up at that restaurant”

"I will providing it isn't put back again."

Namjoon sat back in his chair "what's causing all the delays?"

"A company from Japan insists on meeting in Europe but they always have hold ups. I did suggest that we fly to Japan but no one agreed."

"It sounds like a lot of fuss." Namjoon replied.

"It is but the Japanese company is huge and we do all their advertising so it's not too much hassle, really."

"Are you two going to that charity night that your record label is hosting?" Hobi asked Yoongi.

Before Yoongi could speak, Jimin chimed in "Absolutely, yes! It's a LGBTQ+ event. You should see our suits!"

"Have you seen your suit, Yoon?" Jin asked him with a chuckle behind it.

There were a few laughs around the table as Yoongi shook his head. They all knew full well that Jimin would have picked out both suits, matching of course, had them tailored to perfection and the chances are that Yoongi would see his suit for the first time when he puts it on. 

"He will look amazing, that is all he needs to know. Don't hate just because my man trusts me." Jimin said confidently.

There was more laughter as Yoongi just smiled, of course he trusted Jimin, there wasn't anyone else who could make him look that good and Jimin knew everything there was to know about fashion and him. Even his record label employs Jimin to manage the styling for their new artists because everyone knows that Mr Park Jimin is the best.

"You guys should come, put some of your money to good use and donate it. I'll put you on the vip list." Yoongi said while leaning back so that the waiter could put his plate in front of him.

"What's the money being used for?" Namjoon asked, biting the head off his asparagus.

"The label has bought up an old building and are renovating it. They are using the top floor for office space and stuff that doesn't interest me but the space downstairs, they want to transform it to use as a centre for kids who need help dealing with their sexuality. They're going to have therapy rooms and stuff."

"I'll be there. There's this cute guy I've been meaning to ask out on a date so maybe that works?" Hobi said.

"You want to introduce someone to Jimin on your first date?" Jin laughed.

Jimin glared at Jin "When do you fly out again?"

"I want to know who this guy is." Namjoon added while taking a sip of his wine.

"A couple of our students went for an audition for a big show due to hit Broadway and the guy in charge of casting was there. We started talking and he's a bit more flamboyant than I'm used to but then I thought about Mochi and if Yoon can put up with him then I don't see that as a problem." Hobi purposely did not look in Jimin’s direction because he could feel his eyes boring into him and could imagine the look on his face.

"What the fuck is this? Let's all victimise Jimin day?" 

"Oh come on, you have to admit that you are a Queen." Tae said to his pouty friend.

"Yeah but we don't need to make it the topic of conversation. Besides, no one is as flamboyant as me." Jimin watched as his friends nodded.

"You’re my Queen, Mini." Yoongi said quietly, leaning towards his boyfriend.

"Off topic… the guy is a casting director? What else?" Namjoon said.

"He works for the big up and coming shows and has been hired for a couple of movies so he's used to moving in the same circles. We have been chatting and swapped numbers last week because he asked me to let him know if I come across someone exceptional. The texts haven't just been business shall we say?" Hobi grinned.

"So why haven't you asked him out?" Jin looked confused.

“You can’t sext but not ask him out.” Yoongi pitched in.

"Timing. We're both busy. But this charity thing would be a good excuse to ask him and you lot can tell me how great he is."

"What's his dress sense like? Hair colour? Style?" Jimin asked.

"Smart casual most of the time. I asked him where he bought the Versace belt he was wearing last week. You'd have liked it, Tae. Oh his hair is undercut, has been bright red but was blonde last week so I'm thinking he's changing colours."

“I’m impressed with your detail, Joon is shocking at remembering details.” Jimin said to Hobi.

“I am not, detail is part of my job and I have an eye for it.” Namjoon responded.

“It might very well be a part of your job but when it reverts to outside of that, you are awful. The last guy you were seeing, I specifically asked you for a description and you said ‘tall’ and that was it.” Jimin raised his eyebrows because he knew he was right.

“That is beside the point… and it was a girl I was seeing last.”

“No… it was a guy because he only drank martini’s with a cherry in. The girl was the one before it and she was cute but boring, she carried that Chanel handbag everywhere and it didn’t match half her outfits.” Jimin knew he was right again.

Namjoon squinted his eyes as he tried to remember and then his expression changed as the memories came back “Yes, you’re right. How do you remember all that?”

“I have an eye for details, Joon. It is a part of my job.” Jimin said and sat back smugly in his chair.

“Is there anything else you need to know before you embarrass me in front of him?” Hobi asked.

“Nope. I will wait to pass judgement when I see what he’s wearing. You obviously like him?”

“I do, he has the kind of infectious personality that makes me smile. Even his texts give that air of happiness.” Hobi said, grinning.

“I’m excited to meet him, we can discuss meeting up before the event if you like? There’s an exclusive bar nearby that I’m going to contact about their vip room.” Jimin had contacts everywhere.

“I will ask him and give you a call in the week. I’ve not had a night out in ages, it should be a good evening and for a great cause. Are they doing a raffle or something?”

“Of course. A raffle, an auction and general donations.” Yoongi added.

“Give me a contact number because once the centre is finished, I could offer one of our best students as a teacher for an hour a week? Dance classes would be a great way for them to express themselves. There wouldn’t be a charge for the centre of course and the student I have in mind is someone who struggled with his sexuality when he started with us so the kids would relate to him.”

“That would be great. I reckon they would bite your hand off for that, Hobi.” Yoongi reached for his phone to get the number for Hobi.

“When is it?” Namjoon asked.

“In a fortnight, the 7th, I think.” Yoongi dabbed his mouth with his napkin.

“I’ll see what I can do, if I can come I’ll bring Jo, she’s so familiar with these events that it saves me worrying about who to bring.” 

Namjoon thought highly of Jo, she had been his accountant for years and was great to take as a plus one when there wasn’t any other option. She lived in a small house on the other side of town, she had several big clients but remained modest. Jo fit in well with the group, she was easy going and friendly, she’d been around them for long enough to know what they were like and she blended in well. In the early days she’d had a bit of a fixation on Namjoon, they’d shared a few moments and evenings between the sheets but they both agreed there wasn’t any longevity in it so chose to remain friends instead, with business kept separate.

Jimin clapped his hands together “I’ve not seen Jo in ages, you deprive us of her, it will be great to see her.”

“I haven’t deprived you of anything, that’s Yoon’s job.” as the words left Namjoon’s mouth, the sound of Yoongi choking on the wine he’d just swallowed could be heard and everyone laughed.

Jimin looked at his boyfriend with a serious, unimpressed expression written all over his face “Did you tell him?”

Yoongi reached his hand up while still coughing and trying to breathe properly, stroking the side of Jimin’s face but missing when Jimin moved away.

“He was meant to have kept it to himself!” Yoongi spluttered, turning sharply to his left to glare at Namjoon.

Jimin folded his arms across his chest and moved his chair closer to the table, twisting himself so he was side on to Yoongi.

“We will talk about this later.” Jimin added.

Tae looked at Yoongi, one side of his mouth moving downwards and ‘yikes’ is exactly what his expression read. There was a momentary silence as everyone looked at eachother feeling the tension that they knew would pass and they were perhaps a little pleased that Jimin had chosen to wait until he got home to yell at Yoongi. Everyone knew what would happen, they would be silent in the car on the way home because Jimin would refuse to speak to him but then once home he would strop and protest, act defiant and with the best amateur dramatics put his point across. Yoongi would listen and wait for him to finish, he would pull him into his arms and tell him he was sorry but that he was the most gorgeous creature on earth and express his undying love for him and then they would have copius amounts of sex… that’s usually how they worked, with both admitting that the best part of arguing was the making up, Yoongi going so far as to stoke the fire on a few occasions just to cause a row so they could make up.

“What about you, Tae?” Yoongi asked.

“I’ll check my schedule but I need to find a new escort agency, that last guy they sent was not what I requested.”

Jin laughed “He was dreadful! I like an accent but it would have been good to have been able to understand him.”

“Or not.” Hobi added, laughing.

“If he interrupted someone once more I was going to ask him to leave.” Namjoon said with a serious tone.

“I won’t forget your face when he pinched your backside.” Jimin scoffed.

Tae recoiled at the memory “By the time you saw him do it, that was the third time and I’d had enough. He was too much and I’d specifically requested for the person to remain quiet unless spoken to. The only thing is that they refunded me and gave me a credit note for the next one. They’d always been good up until then.”

“Maybe give them one more chance and remind them of how they messed up before? If they know this is their last chance, they might provide the goods. If they don’t then they don;t want your business.” Yoongi spoke between mouthfuls of wine.

“Can you imagine if they gave you someone who was the man of your dreams?” Jimin might well be stuck up his own backside but he loved a fairy tale.

Hobi’s face read ‘confused’. “He couldn’t be the man of his dreams, he would be an escort.”

“Exactly. Can you imagine that getting out into the public domain?” Namjoon agreed.

Jin sneered “The CEO and the sex worker, that is a sure way to destroy a reputation.”

Tae put his hands up in protest “We don’t have to worry about that, I’ve never even kissed one of them. The company might assure me that they are clean and tested but it’s not worth risking with people like that. They are there for show only.”

Everyone nodded in agreement as Yoongi spoke “I make you right, Tae, it isn’t worth the risk both healthwise and with your reputation. It was enough hassle finding a company that would sign the NDA.” 

“Another reason I want to give this company the chance to redeem themselves. That whole NDA situation was a debacle and I don’t fancy going through that again.”

“How about you meet someone at the charity event and leave the escorts alone? You wouldn’t need to worry about NDA’s or dodgy companies.” Jin suggested after the non-disclosure agreement seemed to cause so much stress..

“Yes! If you actually met someone, you wouldn’t need to worry about all that. Even though you might need an NDA anyway.” Jimin added.

“I’m happy as I am, thank you. I know where I am when I’m paying for company and there aren’t any strings.”

“Don’t you miss being fucked though? Don’t tell me that your array of sex toys keep you satisfied?” one of Jimin’s flaws was his lack of filter.

“Not everything is about sex, Mochi. I’m happy with the way things are. My life doesn’t need any complications outside of work.”

Happiness was the truth but there was a miniscule feeling niggling away deep within him that was evolving at a stagnant pace. That atom sized feeling was caused by the busker and it told him that his life was already more complicated than he was giving it credit for.

“One day you might meet someone and you can share that apartment of yours.”

“You talk like I’m the only single one here.”

“Oh I haven’t even started on Joon and Mr Supermodel yet.”

“I’m too busy to have a relationship, I pick up a fuck when I need to and that’s all I need for now, thank you, Mochi.” Jin excused himself from the table, walking so gracefully towards the bathrooms he appeared to float.

“And you can leave me out of this too.” Namjoon said.

“Is there anything wrong with wanting my friends to have partners who cherish and adore them?”

Yoongi leaned across towards his boyfriend “Mini, you just want to have more people you can fuss over.”

Jimin turned to look at him, met his line of sight for a second then turned his attention back to the others, Yoongi’s sly smile as he sat back confirmed he knew they would be having the best sex later.

When Jin returned, they tied up the evening and said their goodbyes, leaving Blueside with their usual extortionate tip and all satisfied with everything as they had become accustomed. This was their favourite restaurant and the owner of Blueside made sure they were well catered for every time they visited.


	8. It's Not A Date

“What are you doing, Ash?” Jungkook asked his friend who had hold of their vacuum cleaner.

“I’m going to paint a landscape in watercolours.” was the sarcastic response.

A bewildered expression appeared on Jungkook’s face “What?”

“Isn’t it obvious? I’ve got a vacuum in my hand, therefore I am going to vacuum the room.”

“Yes… okay… I obviously needed to rephrase. Why are you doing that? And do not say because it needs cleaning.”

“Me? I’m offended that you think I would be _that_ sarcastic.”

“Are you here to get under my skin because if you are, congratulations.”

“I am trying to help, actually! This place is only ever dirty when I’m here on my own because you are a clean freak and yet you’ve spent the last three hours cleaning it because KTH is coming over.”

Jungkook looked up from the coffee table he was polishing “There is a lot wrong with what you just said and it hasn’t been three hours.”

“You finished uni early, you didn’t go to the library like you always do when you have a couple of frees. You came straight here and have been cleaning ever since.”

“Have you been stalking me?” Jungkook's words are laced with a giggle.

“No, that’s KTH’s job. I was at the diner for my first shift, Billy said you’d been in and when I came home, Mrs Delgado from down the hall told me that you were already in.”

“I saw her earlier, she was sitting outside her apartment in that old chair and I gave her some of the food that Billy gave me.”

Jungkook stopped by Dino’s on his way home and the owner had a box of vegetables and other food that were due to be thrown out (so he said) ready and waiting for him. He was so pleased with the box of edible items, he had already decided on using up a few packets of the dried ramen they had in the cupboard and thanks to Billy, he now had an array of vegetables to go with it, he’d even thrown in some pork belly that wouldn’t be used up because there wasn't enough of it left over(so he said). There were times when the diner felt like more than just a job, Billy and his wife Marie always looked out for their staff, allowing them to use their lounge in the living space above Dino’s if they needed some peace and quiet to study in between shifts. Marie sometimes put leftover dinners in containers and gave them to the boys, telling them she always made too much but they suspected that she enjoyed having them to look after as she’d never been lucky enough to have her own family. She always told them that they were her surrogate sons and they were grateful to have them.

There was so much in the box that when Jungkook saw their elderly neighbour, Mrs Delgado, a small Spanish lady who sat in a rotten old armchair outside her apartment, he offered her what he knew he wouldn’t use and she had smiled so much. Jungkook and Ash liked Mrs Delgado, she was lonely and liked to sit and watch the world go by, she was often nosy and difficult to get away from but they liked her all the same.

“I hope you’ve douched your ass as well as you’ve cleaned this room.” 

Jungkook looked up with a displeased expression but as he went to open his mouth to respond, Ash switched on the vacuum cleaner so anything he did say was drowned out by the noise and Ash laughed, poking his tongue out at his friend, well aware of what he'd done. 

The busker had been so annoyed after his break when Taehyung had left him alone for most of it, all because of a supposed business call. he was slightly perturbed as to why he was bothered by that whole situation because he thought with hindsight that it had been the best outcome, he didn’t want to spend time with Taehyung anyway… did he? 

He was learning that Taehyung was infiltrating his mind in ways he hadn’t thought was possible, with everything leading him to think about him. Last night he was in a mood, there was no question about that because Ash spent about two minutes with him then said he was going to see his friend, ‘Smiler’ because he had misplaced the chainsaw he needed to cut through the atmosphere. Jungkook had pulled the blanket over his head and resumed the game he was playing, he’d been killed by someone hiding behind a tree and was seeking revenge as Ash left the apartment. He took his frustration out on the man and his team mates, winning the game and that is when he realised that he was in a mood… it didn’t make him feel any better. 

If Jungkook was honest with himself (which he wasn’t) and if he’d believed Ash (which he didn’t) he would have had to accept that the irritation he was feeling was because Taehyung was out in an alleged business meeting, after he’d left him alone at the diner and rejected his initial offer of dinner. Instead he chose to ignore that was the problem and threw several cushions at Ash because he dared to suggest that Jungkook was more affected by Taehyung than he was admitting. It was also last night that Kim Taehyung invaded his dreams for the first time and in that dream they’d had a huge argument at the top of the empire state building. Jungkook didn’t remember a great deal about it, only that he felt better having had the opportunity to tell Taehyung that he was annoyed that he’d left him alone on the break that was his idea.

His classes today were linked to Taehyung in every way that was humanly possible, one of his professors was dressed in purple, when he was sure she always wore yellow, in his music class they were told to listen to ‘Aura’ by Lady Gaga and the big announcement in his dance class was that they would be performing ‘Chicago’ at the end of the year. He felt like he was losing his mind and wondered why he couldn’t go back to a time when thoughts of Kim Taehyung were non-existent. They’d hardly spent any time together really but he had wormed his way in somehow. While between classes he’d remembered to text Taehyung his address and internally panicked when he confirmed that he would see him at 7pm. That was the briefest conversation they’d had and certainly the first that had been straight forward.

“Is there anything else you want me to do?” Ash asked as he put the vacuum away.

“Leave?”

“Oh ha ha! I will be gone before KTH arrives, I have a shift at Dino’s then I’m meeting Smiler and going back to his place because he is stuck on level thirteen of that game he bought.”

“So why are you going there? You can’t play that game for anything.”

“Hey! I passed level thirteen so you can shut up. Just concentrate on giving your butt a good scrub so you’re all prepared.”

“Fuck off, Ash! It’s not my butt that needs cleaning.” 

“Oh my God! I knew you wanted to fuck him. I bet his ass is always clean and hairless and I bet he has his anus bleached.” Ash tripped over as he laughed his way to the kitchen.

"Why would you even be thinking about his ass? And why do you think anyone would bleach their anus?"

"I saw it on TV once. These rich dudes either went hairless or had the hairs bleached so they weren't dark."

Jungkook his head "You watch some weird shit."

"When you're rimming him you'll see and you'll think of me."

"Just when I think you couldn't possibly say anything else weird, you prove me wrong."

"Now I know that it isn't the thought of rimming KTH that is the bit you find weird. You have probably dreamed about it."

"I haven't actually."

"You will. We can add this to the list of everything that I say will happen."

"Why does everyone have a list?"

Ash shrugged into his jacket "because you have that effect on us. Please tell me that you know that this evening is a date, right?"

Jungkook frowned "It isn't"

"You invited a guy to your place for dinner… that is a date! How can you not see that?"

“This isn’t a date.”

“What is it then?”

It’s to make up for the fact he bailed on my break time.”

Ash stood by their front door with his hands on his hips, his dark hair curlier than usual framing his face and his big eyes wide “If I told you that a girl asked me round to her place for dinner, you would say it was a date. Actually if I told you we were meeting for lunch in the park, you would say it was a date… oh and if I also told you that she had met me for my break, twice… you would say there was something between us… I repeat… This. Is. A. Date.”

“It isn’t. If I think about the dates I’ve had in the past, they weren’t like this.”

“Which part of cooking dinner for someone in your home after inviting them here, isn’t like a date you’ve had before? You had that annoying guy here for dinner and that was definitely a date because I caught you two at it on the sofa.”

“Yeah but that was different.”

“How? How was that situation different? You met him, you went out a few times and then you invited him here a few times and cooked for him. Those were dates, you were dating. I don’t get why it’s different?”

“Because this _is_ different.”

“Why? Why is it?”

“Because we both knew that we were seeing each other I suppose. We met at that dance thing at uni and knew. It was a normal, boy meets boy thing.”

“But you met KTH and you’ve been seeing him and texting him and now you’ve invited him around for dinner… that’s the same thing.”

“It isn’t. I don’t know what Tae wants but he can’t want anything serious with me so this almost feels like a game until a time when it just stops.”

Ash walked forwards and perched on the arm of the chair “Why wouldn’t he want anything serious with you? You are great.”

Jungkook smiled “You would say that. We are so different, Ash. We met because his idea of excess cash is more than I see in a month. I feel like the test subject in an experiment, there’s no logical explanation for why he’s so interested in me. It feels like someone has dared him to approach me and I don’t believe he is genuine.”

“So why bother at all?”

“Honestly? I don’t know. There’s the very obvious attraction because he’s gorgeous but he gets under my skin and is so irritating. Then we backtrack and conversation is good until one of us says something to annoy the other. I like the banter but I’m wary, people like him don’t want anything genuine with people like us. Maybe he’s bored? Maybe it's a bet among his friends? Maybe he's just like _him_.”

“I think he must like you, he must? Even for a dare or to cure boredom, it’s a bit like too much effort. He could have let you walk away when you gave him the money back in the subway but he turned up at the diner. He didn’t have to do that.”

“No, but he also has pride and there wasn’t any way he was putting up with me handing him back the money and walking away.”

"To play devil's advocate, his pride would surely have prevented him from turning up at the diner?"

Jungkook shrugged his shoulders "It depends what bothered him more, I guess."

"What now? You just wait until he ghosts you?"

"I don't know."

"Kookie Monster, I've known you a long time and yet I've never heard those three words leave your mouth as much as they have since you met KTH."

“Because it’s confusing. The situation is sort of just happening and when I think I won’t see him again, something happens and we end up meeting.”

“Let’s pretend that he isn’t who he is, just for a second. He is just a regular guy like us, you obviously like him enough to invite him to our home, do you want it to go further?”

Ash was rarely serious but heart to hearts like this required sensitivity and he cared about his best friend a lot. He’d seen the way Jungkook’s face changed when Taehyung was mentioned and he’d spied on him during the break that went wrong. He’d known Jungkook long enough to know when he was battling with himself and he could see it clear as day… he could see that his friend liked Taehyung a lot more than he was allowing himself to admit. Ash also knew that it was a defensive act, as much as Taehyung could be a positive in his life, he could bring negativity too, he made Jungkook feel inadequate amongst other things and this provoked the attitude. The battle was obvious, after only a short amount of time, Kim Taehyung had infected Jungkook but Ash wanted his friend to let his guard down just a little or he would be the reason that this whole situation ended and with that would come regret.

“I don’t know.”

“You do. Ignore that tightness in your gut because you don’t want to admit it. I don’t believe that any of this would be happening if you didn’t want it to.”

Jungkook took a deep breath, Ash was right and he knew it “To a certain extent, it all happened because I wanted it to. I wouldn’t have agreed to meet him if I didn’t want to, I don’t care who he is or how much money he’s got. I’m just not sure if I like him, he’s fucking annoying.”

Ash laughed “He can’t be more annoying than I am.”

“True.”

“Yeah you weren’t meant to agree but thanks. Look, you have to be open to the possibility that KTH likes you. It doesn’t matter who he is because for whatever reason he’s stalked you and men like him wouldn’t waste their time, I don’t think.”

“Let’s see what happens tonight huh? This will be the first time we are properly alone and there’s no time limit, so I may hate him by the end of the evening or he'll see where I live and never speak to me again.”

“That means you don’t hate him now… winning. Did you invite him here as a test?”

“Maybe not consciously at the time. Are you going now?”

“Keep your pants on! Yes I’m going. I’ll be at Smilers if you need me, he’s getting beers in so I may crash on the sofa. Be good, don’t eat too quickly, you don’t want indigestion, don’t let him touch you where you don’t want him to and there are condoms in the trinket box on the coffee table.”

“Oh my god! Ash! Go!” Jungkook couldn’t help but laugh at his friend.

“I’m going. See you tomorrow probably.”

“Yeah… Ash?”

“Yeah?”

“Thanks for the chat.”

“You’re welcome. Now, try not to scare him off with that bratty attitude.”

Jungkook smiled fondly as Ash closed the door, he checked the time and his stomach somersaulted… Taehyung would arrive in less than 30 minutes.

**

“Mr Kim… Sir… could I trouble you for a few seconds before I finish?”

Stefan hadn’t seen his boss all day due to a variety of meetings and calls, the day had run away with him and he’d been meaning on catching up with him. 

“What is it?” 

Taehyung’s day had been a good one, one meeting in particular went very well when one of the men let it slip that they were interested in a company that was going into administration. Tae didn’t waste any time and put the wheels in motion to buy up that company from under everyone’s noses and he knew he could outbid them so the company would belong to Purple Aura by the end of the week.

“I wanted to ask if you were still going to the man’s home tonight?”

“Yes, I am. Why?”

“So I know whether to ask for an update tomorrow, that is all. Since I’ve known you, this is the first official date I’ve known you to go on, so it’s exciting.” When Stefan smiled, the tops of his cheeks bulged and his eyes shone, he was so cute.

“Date? This isn’t a date and how would you know that I haven’t been on a date? This is the first time we have spoken personally.”

Stefan frowned “I’m confused as to how you aren’t seeing this as a date, Sir?”

“He invited me to his place because his break was a bit of a disaster."

"You genuinely believe that he has invited you to his home for dinner because when you met him at the diner, it didn't go to plan?"

"Yes."

"Sir… Mr Kim, the only reason you invite someone to your home for dinner in these circumstances, is if you like them in a certain way. There is a possibility that he would like a platonic friendship but my guess would be that isn't the case."

"I appreciate your input, Stefan but this meeting is to replace the break disaster. It isn't a date."

"Okay, Sir but it would appear that all of your non dates were because the last non date didn't go so well. Should I presume that there will only be another meeting if tonight is a train wreck?" Stefan raised his eyebrows in a questioning manner, he could see the thought process on his boss's face as he mulled over his words.

"That is a question that I do not have the answer to."

Stefan grinned "I was hoping that you would have a nice evening but now I'm not too sure whether to hope it goes well or not. Good evening Mr Kim, I will see you in the morning."

"Have a good evening yourself." Tae answered as the door to his office clicked as it closed.

**

As Taehyung parked his red ferrari in a space marked 69 (which he found amusing) he looked around to see if anyone was about, convinced that he would return later to find his car gone or wrecked. The look on his face was priceless as he'd driven into Jungkook’s Street where the tattered blocks of apartments were, making sure his dash cam was on, just in case. Jungkook told him to park in the space reserved for his apartment because neither him or Ash owned a car so it was always free. 

Taehyung’s biggest dilemma of the day has been deciding what to wear, he'd stood in front of each closet, walked inside and back out again. He was even tempted to phone Jimin at one stage but that thought was extremely fleeting and so went back to wondering what was classed as a step down from casual? Tae's version of casual would still make him overdressed and he didn't know where to start. He'd googled 'casual' and screwed his face up at the images shown but decided that he would opt for comfortable because that seemed to be the way forwards. After many outfit changes, the will to live was hanging on by a thread and he questioned what the point of all this was? Was the busker worth all this hassle? Why was he bothering? Stefan’s words raced around his head about this being a date and it just didn't ring true in his mind because the thought of dating someone like Jungkook was completely alien. It did lead him to consider why he was going to be spending the evening with him and he had to admit to himself that Jungkook provoked certain feelings in him and from the day he'd heard his voice in the station, he hadn't been able to get him out of his mind. He didn't have any answers to most of his questions but decided that he never would have the answers if he didn't spend time with him and the one thing he knew for sure was that he did want to spend some time with Jungkook.

The Ferrari beeped to let Taehyung know it was locked, he checked the camera's little light was on and double checked the app on his phone that relayed the images. He still felt out of place, the long loose flowing trousers rippled slightly in the breeze as he walked, the button down shirt tucked into the waistband allowed for some movement and with the top three buttons unfastened he thought he looked casual. The slip on dress shoes were his most comfortable and he hadn't brought a jacket because it was still warm out so he didn't see the point. His hair was straightened and sitting perfectly, the tips touching the tops of his ears as he favoured a centre parting. The white shirt and beige trousers made him look like a tourist walking along a beach in a foreign destination, he looked cool and free, which was the opposite to how he felt.

As he approached the doors of the old building, he ignored the rusting garden furniture that was upside down in the grassy area to his right. There was a big piece of paper taped over the intercom that said 'out of fucking order again' so he tried to pull the door and it gave way easily allowing him access. He was surprised that the corridor appeared so clean but chose not to use the elevator when it opened and a rancid smell wafted out that reminded him of the subway. Instead he opted for the stairs and once on the third floor of five, he was swallowing hard and breathing deeply, trying to relax his face that he was sure was contorted into an expression of disgust as he pressed the button beside the door of number 69.

Jungkook was nervous as the gentle sound rang through the apartment signalling that there was a guest at the door. There was a part of him that hoped this evening went well, whatever that meant. He was yet to enjoy the company of Kim Taehyung because every time it had gone sour, one way or the other. There was a part of him that preempted the disdain Taehyung would have for his home, his whole apartment was probably the size of Taehyung’s office but it was his home and he was happy here. Everything was shabby and second hand, the furniture was basic and well used. There was a floral armchair, a two seater sofa and a giant bean bag, all huddled around a small circular coffee table. The television was the newest item in the whole apartment, a gift from Billy and Marie when they treated themselves to a new one and wanted the old one to have a good home. They knew the boys liked playing games and they knew the TV they had was small so they couldn't think of a better place for it. The 40 inch screen looked out of place at first but then they moved everything around and attached it to a wall, it still stood out like a sore thumb but they didn't mind. The lounge was the hub of the apartment, there was a small table against one of the walls with two stools underneath, they rarely used it, preferring to eat on their laps. The kitchen was attached to the lounge with an open doorway so if you were sitting on the sofa you could see through to the kitchen which was big enough for three people max. Jungkook tried to remember Ash's words about letting his guard down just a little but he knew they were high because of how he suspected Tae would view his home and that already made him feel defensive. Ash had told him that he was being judgemental by having such views which was the thing that he was expecting of Taehyung so he said they were as bad as each other really. Jungkook was trying… he was trying to believe that Taehyung wasn't here because it was a dare or because he'd drawn the short straw in a game but it was difficult.

He set the table earlier because he doubted that Taehyung would want to eat on his lap and it was a good excuse to sit there. He'd enjoyed cooking this afternoon, it wasn't something he got to do very often. His hand was poised over the handle of his door, he took a deep breath and rolled his eyes at himself when he acknowledged that he might be a little bit excited and was just a tiny bit hopeful about the evening. That deep breath was a great idea with hindsight when he opened the door and saw Taehyung standing there looking the way he did.

"You’re late" 

Urgh! So much for setting a negative tone, Jungkook kicked himself. 

Taehyung smirked "I would have been punctual had I not taken the stairs. Please accept my apology for the lateness." 

The one thing that he'd taken from all his chats with Stefan was that he needed to attempt to not fuel the fire so he promised himself that he would be more courteous and not provoke a negative reaction. He would never be able to answer the questions he had or apply logic to this situation if all he did was bicker with Jungkook so he was going to try.

Jungkook was quite surprised by the response "Apology accepted. Please come in." He said, standing to one side so the deliciously smelling Taehyung could walk past him.

Taehyung paused a few steps away from Jungkook in the hallway, waiting to be shown where to go even though the options were limited to four doors, only one of which was open at the end of the small hall. The door to his right had a sign that read 'WC = Wee Central' so he presumed that was the bathroom, the other two doors he suspected were bedrooms. He waited for Jungkook who walked ahead of him after locking the door and they entered the lounge, Tae trying not to let his face say what his mouth couldn't, without causing offence.

"Dinner smells good." Tae said… he was trying.

"Thanks. It isn't much or what I'm sure you're used to but it's edible, hopefully."

"Edible is always a positive start." Tae quickly diverted his eyes from the sofa, thoughts of how he shouldn't have worn such light clothing entering his head.

"Would you like a tea?"

"Yes please, that would be nice." 

Tae followed Jungkook to the kitchen doorway and stood at the threshold so he didn't get in the way. He wondered if the busker had any other clothes than the black combats he always wore or whether he simply had ten pairs all hanging in a wardrobe. He liked that Jungkook was bare footed, he always thought it showed someone was carefree and comfortable but he also wondered if it was because the only shoes he owned were those awful worn boots he persisted on wearing at other times. Tae added another 'difference' to his list, he preferred light or bright clothes and it appeared that the busker only wore dark, mostly black. 

"If you would like to take a seat at the table, I can bring dinner through." Jungkook said, faltering slightly as he spoke because of the gorgeous man standing in the doorway. The one admission he'd had to make to himself was the one where he conceded that he fancied Kim Taehyung, it had been brewing, bubbling away and the second he opened the door to him, he just had to give in.

There was a very brief moment before Tae answered that they looked directly at each other. Tae smiled at Jungkook and the smile that was returned made that tiny feeling in his core, bloom just slightly. In the brightness of the kitchen light he could see a small scar on the busker’s cheek and a few small moles that he thought were cute. He was a bit blindsided by the mixture of feelings as the definition of his jawline and the fullness of his lips were anything but cute. 

"I don't expect you to wait on me here, let me help." 

"You shouldn't expect me to wait on you anywhere" 

Damn it! The tone was rude and the words were out before he could stop them. He was frustrated because seconds before, he had looked into Tae’s eyes and seen a normal guy… an extremely attractive guy… but in that moment all the money and their differences didn't matter. Before Tae could answer he chipped in "Sorry."

Tae eyed him curiously and kept the smile on his face "What for?"

"For being rude."

"Oh you were? I hadn't noticed." Tae said with a wink as he turned and walked to sit at the table.

Jungkook couldn’t read him, he didn’t know what to make of that response. He suspected it was sarcasm but was left a little uneasy as to why he’d left it there, why there hadn’t been a response that provoked a reaction. He was actually left a little speechless, perhaps pleasantly surprised as he pondered the lack of bite in the CEO this evening.

Taehyung pulled out the stool and sat down, he looked around the room and there were too many thoughts and emotions rushing around his brain to even pin one down. He did feel jubilant when he saw the glimmer of surprise in Jungkook’s expression and he conceded that it was definitely worth the effort at not retaliating just to see that. He was also trying his best to find some positives while looking around the lounge, it was probably the size of the bathroom in his apartment and he knew Namjoon would have a lot to say about the decor.

Jungkook appeared from the kitchen and placed dishes on the table, going back and forth a few times before taking a seat on the stool opposite Taehyung. He did look a bit sheepish, he promised himself in the kitchen that he would try not to be so aggressive in his responses to the CEO and if he did slip up, he would attempt to apologise to smooth things over because his reactions were automatic sometimes, he spoke from his gut which wasn’t always a good thing when he hadn’t thought it through first.

Tae helped himself to a big spoonful of the ramen, he thought the smell was delicious and he was impressed further as he took a mouthful. It was a far cry from the dishes served in the restaurants he frequented and even when he was getting food at home it was less messy with quality ingredients delivered from a company online. This was hearty, cold weather food and no one had ever cooked for him like this before. Usually when he went out for food with someone, albeit a friend, acquaintance, prospective partner, he went to a top restaurant or if invited to their home, they nearly always had a chef or food delivered. This whole situation was a little out of the ordinary for Tae and so he wasn’t always convinced that he knew what was expected of him or how he should act.

“”You are right, this is definitely edible.” he said with a smile, hoping that Jungkook would see that he was enjoying the food.

“I’ll take that as a compliment, thanks.”

“The compliment was going to come once I’ve finished but you’re welcome to take that and it saves me the bother. I wouldn’t want to inflate your ego.”

Jungkook took a breath “How was your business meeting last night?”

“It was interesting. Did you have a productive evening?”

“It depends on what you mean by productive, I finished an essay and played a couple of games. My roommate was out so it was a quiet evening.” he left out the part where he couldn't stop thinking about Taehyung or the fact that Ash was out because it was better than being around him in a mood.

“What games were you playing?” Taehyung wasn’t really a gamer, he didn’t have the time and had grown out of playing games when he was in his early teens. It wasn’t something he did or his friends did because they were busy and maturity meant no games.

“I like tactical games so I spent the evening shooting people. Games like pubg and Overwatch, that sort of thing.”

Taehyung swallowed the last mouthful of food, he didn’t really know those games, he understood ‘tactical’ but wasn’t up to date on which games were current, it just wasn’t his world.

“It sounds interesting, I have to admit that I don’t really play games.”

“Is that because you don’t like games?”

“No, I played when I was much younger and then I grew up and it was something left behind in my childhood. I don’t get a lot of time, even if I wanted to play now.”

Jungkook tried not to take offence. “Would you like to play something?”

“I think I should leave that to you, it has been many years since I have looked at a game.”

“Worried I will beat you?” he said with a smirk.

“Beating me is a given, Jungkook. There isn’t a doubt in my mind there.” 

The smile that accompanied the words shouldn't have caused the miniscule flutter in the very depths of Jungkook’s gut… but it did and he couldn't ignore it. 

"That sounds awfully defeatist for someone who is the CEO of his own company." he knew it was possibly goading but he also thought gaming was the ideal way to lighten the atmosphere and create a situation that felt less like an interview.

Taehyung didn't accept defeat on a day to day basis and the only time he willingly rolled over and allowed someone to get the better of him was during sex, so he wasn't going to turn down a challenge, even if he already knew the outcome.

"I will assist you with your endeavour to show me how good you are."

"I'm going to take that as a 'yes' to playing with me."

"But I thought you were referring to a computer game? Playing _with_ you is a different matter entirely."

The sultry look on the face of the CEO made Jungkook’s stomach flutter twice as much as the smile earlier, so much so, that he swallowed hard. 

"If only you were _that_ lucky… I was talking about a computer game."

This sort of banter felt good, it was always there but transpires into a bitterness from time to time that clearly neither of them like. They'd both been trying not to allow that negative attitude creep in, to marr their time together and so far the evening wasn't a complete disaster.

Jungkook cleared away the dinner from the table, he was used to carrying multiple dishes at Dinos so it was no trouble. Taehyung asked to help but Jungkook said he could handle it, so wasn't expecting the CEO to be standing directly behind him in the small space of the kitchen when he turned to return to the lounge. He wasn't sure if they'd been this close before, his mind racing frantically to recall but nothing was operating as it usually would. He'd put his hands out in front as he quite literally walked into Taehyung and his hands remained still on his torso. 

Tae tilted his head very slightly to the right, he didn't move, he could feel the warmth from the palms on his body radiating through him. He looked into the big brown eyes, startled and wide, his body pulsed as he took in the frame of the busker. He was sure this was the closest they'd been to each other, he could smell something floral but didn't know whether it was his shampoo or cologne. He couldn't ignore the feeling he had which led to the internal admission that this young man clearly affected him in a certain way that he couldn't quite put his finger on. He felt like the mouse being lured to a trap by a small lump of cheese, he was just as curious as that rodent and suspected that this situation would probably get him hurt too but he couldn't find it in himself to turn away.

Jungkook swiftly removed his hands like he’d scolded himself, placing his hands by his side “Oh err, sorry… I err… wasn’t expecting you to be here… standing here… in the kitchen… sorry.” he felt as flustered as he sounded.

Tae was amused by the reaction, he wouldn’t tell Jungkook that but he was slightly amused, particularly as he’d noticed the dark pink tinge that flooded his cheeks and settled at the tops of his ears. “I can’t recall a time when someone has apologised for touching me.”

“I suppose it is a bit odd but we don’t really know each other and… well… I was surprised you were here.”

“I’ve been here a while now, you know?”

Jungkook sighed but the glint in his eye showed a playfulness that Taehyung liked.

“I know. Shall we?” he said, gesturing with his hand for Tae to head into the lounge.

“After you.” Tae said, twisting his body just enough for the other to squeeze past, their bodies brushing past each other as he went.

Jungkook settled on the sofa, he squeezed himself up near the arm so Taehyung could sit down. The sofa was big enough for three, albeit a ‘two seater’ but he didn’t want to make Tae feel uncomfortable after the incident in the kitchen. He held a games controller in his hand which he held out for the CEO to take and nearly giggled when he saw how out of place he looked… gorgeous, but out of place.

Taehyung took the controller from Jungkook and twisted his body so his knees were pointing towards the man sitting next to him. He was still feeling a little warm internally after the closeness experienced in the kitchen, he couldn’t help but think about Jungkook’s words and how his hands felt against him. 

“This button is jump, this is crouch and crawl, this one shoots your weapon and you can walk and turn and stuff using these.” Jungkook was pointing to each button and trying to explain as best he could, his mind distracted somewhat.

Taehyung nodded as Jungkook asked him if he was ready “The honest answer is probably ‘no’ but we can start when you are ready.” he felt a bit silly, like a child and he didn’t feel very comfortable with that but he hoped to be able to overlook it.

“Stay close to me.” Jungkook said as the game started, ignoring the way that the CEO edged closer to him on the sofa and knowing that he was probably doing it on purpose so didn’t respond.

“Wait, which one are you?”

Jungkook giggled “The one standing right next to you.”

"Which one am I?"

Jungkook turned to face Tae and using his finger, wiggled the joystick of his controller. "You're that one"

"Which one?"

Jungkook really wasn't sure if Tae was being serious or not but humoured him just in case, they had a game to play after all. He placed his own controller onto the coffee table and turned his attention to the one in Tae's hands, he put his hands over the top of the beautifully smooth hands already holding it "That one there." He said, pressing one of the buttons, pushing away the urge to stroke the skin beneath his fingers, ignoring how perfectly his hands enclosed over Taehyung’s.

Tae wasn't watching the screen, he was distracted by the hands that were rough but were a perfect fit over the top of his own. The same warmth that radiated through his torso in the kitchen now encompassed his hands and he couldn't divert his eyes from the long masculine looking fingers that weren't helping the path his thoughts appeared to have taken.

"Taehyung, you need to look at the TV, you are the one jumping." Jungkook wondered what the CEO was thinking as he stared at their hands, was he thinking the same as him, was he wondering if their hands would ever be clasped together in other situations? Or maybe he was shocked that Jungkook had the audacity to touch him and was searching for a way to tell him without ruining the evening? 

"Oh… yes… I see me now."

Jungkook released his hands but Tae spoke quickly again "Which one are you?"

"That one, next to you " he giggled.

Tae liked the sound of a giggling busker “I knew that.”

“Of course you did. You need to stick close or you will die.”

“That is a line that no one has ever used on me before.” he smiled, he could see the side profile of the busker so noticed when his cheeks moved as he too, smiled.

“You need to concentrate, Taehyung.”

“How very assertive, Jungkook.” 

“I can appreciate that this might not happen very often but if you could just do as you are told, we won’t lose.”

“Are you implying that I can’t follow instructions?”

“Not at all, I am asking you to do as you’re told.”

Fuck! Those last nine words smashed through Taehyung’s body, reverberated around every part of it and settled in his crotch. The only time in his life where he willingly does as he is told, when he is happy to get on his knees and allow someone to take control is in the bedroom and the desire for Jungkook was gathering pace. 

“You’d be surprised at how well I follow instructions in the right circumstances.” the tone was as suggestive as it was intended.

Jungkook moved his hands and fingers quickly, a noise accompanying it as he took out the person shooting at Taehyung. He’d heard every word that the CEO had said, it echoed in his brain and set thoughts in motion that he didn’t need right now when he needed to be focused on the game. 

“You’re welcome.” he said, turning to look at Tae and winking with a grin on his face.

“My hero.” was the sarcastic reply.

Jungkook laughed, he liked this banter between them, he liked Taehyung and it was becoming harder to ignore when his body reacted before his brain accepted it.

When Taehyung dropped the controller because someone jumped out from behind a tree and startled him, he laughed while Jungkook blew up the person. The sound of his laughter was something else that Jungkook’s body reacted to and he daren’t turn to look at the gorgeous man sat beside him, the sound was enough, the visual would be too much. He knew he shouldn't have looked when he quickly glanced over at Tae who had the tip of his tongue poking out from between his lips, his face etched with concentration… why hadn't Jungkook noticed any of this before? 

The game continued and so did the giggles, particularly when Tae made his character crawl or jump unnecessarily. The defining moment came when Taehyung shot someone who was running at Jungkook, about to launch a grenade. The shock on the busker’s face was a picture as he turned to look at the man sitting beside him.

"You’re welcome" Tae said, mimicking Jungkook’s tone from earlier.

"That was a great shot! You do realise you just finished the game?" 

"What? No? Was that a bad thing to do? I thought I'd got the right person." Tae looked dejected.

"That was the last person, you won the game for us. It was a really good move."

"Oh… okay. Technically though, you won the game for us because you killed more people than I did, probably while I was prancing about." Taehyung beamed.

Jungkook was endeared and he couldn't help it " _We_ won the game."

Taehyung liked this Jungkook, he was pleased he'd accepted his invitation this evening because he would probably not have seen this side of him. Tonight there weren't any distractions of other people, traffic, life in general and they'd so far managed not to kill each other… just the virtual characters in the game so he saw that as a win.

"I appreciate the tutorial. Should I ever be in a situation where I get to play again, I will know what I'm doing to a certain extent." Tae said, handing Jungkook the controller.

"Would you like to play again? Another time?" 

"Yes, that would be nice. Would you like to meet again?"

Jungkook felt his stomach swish like it was full of liquid "I would. This may be slightly sooner than expected but I was wondering if you are free on Saturday? I was given these tickets for the theme park and my roommate is working, so I thought… maybe you'd like to go with me?"

Taehyung hadn’t been to a theme park before, as strange as that sounded. His school trips were never to places of fun, his parents were usually too busy and when they did go out as a family it was to a luxurious resort on an actual holiday. They’d been to see a stage show at the theatre a few times and visited a few historical places but never a theme park or a fair.

“I would like to accompany you to the theme park. Is it ‘Neverland’ or ‘Whimzy World’?” he knew there were two, he’d done advertising for both at one time so knew where they were.

“The tickets are for Neverland. We can get the bus, it’s easier than the train.”

"I will drive, I can pick you up." 

Taehyung did not like the idea of the train or the bus. He remembered that getting the bus was on his list of normal things to do but the subway had been enough of an experience and he was currently sitting in an apartment in a road he would never usually have been in, so that was all more than enough 'normality' and 'out of comfort zone' than he could deal with. 

"If you don't mind?" Jungkook felt a little uncomfortable about the offer, he was happy to catch the bus, the tickets for the theme park were free so he only had to think about bus fare but now he wasn't sure if he should be offering fuel money or whether he should just accept the offer. 

"You have the tickets so I can provide the transport." 

"But the tickets were free, they were a gift."

"It doesn't matter whether you paid for them or not, you are still taking me with you so I would like to drive. Need I remind you that technically so far I haven't really done anything. You have cooked and provided the hospitality this evening and given up your breaks at work, so I would therefore like to drive us to the theme park."

Jungkook wanted to remind Taehyung that the smoothies and everything they'd consumed aside from this evening had been paid for with his money and just because the money was given in tips, didn't change the fact that it was HIS money but he didn't, he didn't say anything about it because there was a floaty feeling milling around his body at the fact that he wanted to drive them, that he was choosing to pick him up. He liked that this was Taehyung’s choice and he would accept the offer because they needed to get there one way or another.

"That’s settled then, I will pick you up at 10am." Taehyung said as he walked towards the door.

"I will wait outside. I will see you Saturday." 

Jungkook rushed ahead and opened the door, the catch was a bit tricky sometimes.

"Thank you for this evening, I enjoyed it."

Tae smiled and smiled more when it was returned by Jungkook who was holding the door open.

"I enjoyed it too." Jungkook said, as he became aware that his heart was thumping in his chest.

"Goodnight, Jungkook" Tae said as he walked through the door and disappeared down the hall towards the stairs.

"Goodnight, Tae." was the whispered reply as the busker closed the door.


	9. Reading Between The Lines.

“Sir… Mr Kim… could I?...”

“Ask away, Stefan.” 

By now, Taehyung was used to the questions coming from his PA, he would either wait until the end of the day and catch him before he went home or he would appear in his office before the day started, always choosing to separate his personal questions from the business side, which the CEO very much approved of.

It was early in the morning, Taehyung had been in the office since 6am after an email that required his attention had arrived. His mind was still full of the evening with Jungkook and how different things had been compared to the other times they’d met. He was pleasantly surprised when Jungkook had invited him to the theme park, if he was honest he hadn’t considered when or how they would meet again so this took that problem away from him at least.

Stefan walked to Taehyung’s desk, he wasn’t due to start work officially yet so he felt comfortable using this as ‘personal time’ because then he could go and make the tea and return in time for their morning meeting to discuss the day and week ahead.

His smile was big, his hair looked curlier than usual as golden ringlets hung around his eyes “Mr Kim, Sir, are you seeing him again?”

Taehyung frowned “That is your first question?”

“Well, yes... “ he felt this to be the logical place to start.

“Yes, he invited me to attend a day at Neverland with him on Saturday.”

“Oh… what went wrong?” concern was suddenly etched on his face.

“With what?” Taehyung was confused.

“Technically you have only met up again due to the dates not going well so I’m presuming that last night didn’t go so well and you have rescheduled.”

Taehyung smiled “I believe that last night went well.”

“This is a big step forwards then! How exciting! Are you going with him on Saturday?”

“I am, I offered to drive, he wanted to get the bus but that was not a realistic option.”

“What’s wrong with the bus?”

“It is full of people, Stefan. I am not someone who belongs on public transport.”

Stefan chose to ignore the insinuation “Did you kiss him? What did you do? Did he cook? What is his place like?”

“Why would I kiss him?” more confusion.

“Because that’s what two people who like each other do.” 

“I am yet to ascertain whether he likes me at all, Stefan.”

“He definitely likes you. I don’t understand how anyone would think otherwise? He has now invited you out on a proper date after having you in his home for the evening… he definitely likes you, Mr Kim.”

“Saturday isn’t a date. He has free tickets and his roommate is busy, I’m merely standing in due to his options being limited.”

“Is that what he said?” Stefan eyes his boss curiously.

“That it isn’t a date?”

“Yes and that you are only invited because he doesn’t have anyone else to ask.”

Taehyung looked to the right, replaying the conversation from the previous evening “Well, no, he said that his roommate was working and he wondered if I would like to go with him.”

“Sir, that was an excuse. I could be completely wrong but I would suggest that his roommate may well be working but that was never the plan. I think he was testing the water, perhaps he thought you may not agree to go, so said that as a way of starting the conversation. Either way, he wants to see you again and not just _see_ you, he wants to spend the day with you. Do you invite people to spend the day with you if you don’t like them?”

Stefan was feeling a little exasperated by his boss, he couldn’t understand how a man like Taehyung could be so naive. He’d seen him at work, in full swing in a business meeting, he’d seen him fire people and tear strips off someone who hadn’t done their job properly, heard him on the phone when dealing with companies and he could be ruthless when he needed to be. Yet, here he was, completely oblivious to something so very obvious and Stefan was realising how very un-streetsmart his boss actually was.

“There is a lot to process there.” Taehyung had taken Jungkook's invitation at face value and now there was a different point of view to consider.

“I can only guess what the man’s intentions are towards you so let’s focus on you, Mr Kim, Sir. Why did you accept his invitation to Neverland?”

“It would have been incredibly rude to have declined given that he’d just cooked me dinner and been very hospitable.”

Stefan sighed “Sir, do you like him? I mean… _like_ him?”

“You mean in a romantic sense?”

“Yes, romantically. Unless you are saying that you are putting in all this effort because you want him as a friend?"

Tae blinked.

He blinked a lot.

He looked at the man standing by his desk who was looking straight at him with a look of complete disbelief on his face.

"To be completely honest with you, Stefan, I'm not entirely sure I know the answer to that question because it simply is not that simple."

"It is simple, Mr Kim, Sir. Either you like him romantically or you don't. I think you know the answer but you are allowing it to be complicated by bringing other factors into it."

"It's those factors that could mean that the situation is a non-starter though." the CEO felt their worlds were so far apart sometimes that they were in different universes.

Stefan smiled sweetly "The situation has already started, Sir and I think you've just answered my question. If you weren't interested in him romantically, there would not be anything to consider. My advice is to enjoy your time with him, I do believe he is interested in you and you both obviously have a chemistry between you so enjoy getting to know him. You need a solid foundation for any relationship to work and then everything else will fall into place."

Stefan smiled again and turned to leave the office, he was very conscious of the time and it was time to make tea and start his work day. He suspected that his boss had a lot to consider and he was pleased that they were able to speak the way they did nowadays, even if he still was a little unsure of how frankly he could speak at times.

"Stefan?"

"Yes, Mr Kim." He said with a hand on the door.

"If you were me, what course of action would you take between now and Saturday?"

Stefan scratched his head "If I were you, I would be texting the man to think him for a lovely evening. I would probably maintain conversation leading up to Saturday because I wouldn't want things to be awkward when I picked him up and they would be slightly difficult if there were days without speaking. If I were you, I would want to start building that foundation."

"I will bear all of that in mind as the day goes on, your opinion is appreciated, thank you."

As the door to his office closed, Tae released a heavy sigh and leaned back in his chair, registering the beep that alerted him to new emails but wondering what to do as he looked at the phone on his desk. Stefan was right, it would be awkward if he didn’t have any communication with Jungkook between now and picking him up on Saturday so he picked up the phone and started a new message. He had ten minutes before a short meeting with the web design team which was long enough to send off a message to the busker and thank Stefan for the tea that he would be back with very soon, in the purple metallic travel cup that he always used.

But what to say to Jungkook?

He acknowledged that there was an element of overthinking as he went for basic and decided that it was a start at least.

KTH  
Good morning, I would like to thank you for dinner last night. Wishing you luck with your assignment. KTH.

Last night while talking about the remaining days of the week, Jungkook told Tae that he had a lengthy assignment to hand in before he could put every effort into practising for the big show. Tae was glad that he didn't have to take time out of his studies and could get his education out of the way, he thought it was impressive that Jungkook kept going back even though he'd had to take breaks due to financial complications (not that he ever actually said that, it was merely glossed over and an assumption on Taehyung's part).

When Stefan appeared with the tea, Taehyung was shrugging his shoulders into the light grey Saint Laurent suit jacket. He thanked him for the tea, as he always did and picked up the blue folder, he heard his phone vibrate on his desk but he didn't have time to look right now, there was a team of people sitting around a large table waiting for him to discuss the website of a new client.

The walk down to the floor that housed the web design team was short, One stop in the elevator and a few corridors. He passed a few people who all wished him a good morning and he acknowledged them in return, even if he didn't have the faintest clue as to who they were. As he walked into the meeting room, the eight people sitting around, stood up and muttered greetings. He nodded in return and walked around to the front where he placed his cup and folder down before turning his attention to the people shuffling around taking their places once more.

"Good morning everyone. Firstly, I appreciate I am putting you on the spot but I would like an update on the Moonchild website redevelopment. Are we close to completion?"

Eight pairs of eyes looked at Taehyung who had a hand in one pocket of his grey trousers, his hair was parted to one side today, his eyebrows were raised as he waited for someone to respond.

"Well? The objective of asking a question is to get an answer so I expect an answer." 

A man got to his feet, Tae recognised him as being one of the department managers but he had no idea of anything else.

"I would say that we are approximately a month from completing the test website, Sir."

"A month? We are not waiting another month. That test website needs to be operational in ten days so that adjustments can be made and the final product completed by the end of the month. If you need to stay beyond your usual hours to do it, then that is what I expect. You are all aware that you will be paid for your time but deadlines must be met, that is the priority."

"Yes Sir, of course, I will see to it."

The man took a deep breath and sat down as Taehyung took a sip from his cup and continued.

“Secondly, I need a team of three for the new Seesaw deal. They are a well established company and have noticed a big dip in sales so they have tasked us with their next advertising campaign. A big part of that is to give their website a complete overhaul because they get very little traffic and they want to start offering an online service. The website needs to be eye catching, it needs to have music because if people like being there, they will shop for longer. This is a mammoth contract, they effectively want a complete image revamp so the website has to reflect this. I expect the team of three in my office this time next week with ideas and examples.”

A young man with bright red hair raised his hand and spoke “How would you like the ideas presented, Sir? A powerpoint? Or sketches?”

“I will leave that to you to decide, as long as I get what I need, the delivery is down to you. 9am next Wednesday, in my office. No excuses, no lacklustre presentation. I want to be able to make a decision on what the next step is on that day. As always, there will be a bonus for you on completion of a successful campaign. I expect enthusiasm and if you do not have enthusiasm, then I would recommend looking for another career. Are there any questions?”

The eight people shook their heads.

“Should you think of any questions or have any problems between now and next week, you can email me or speak to my PA about an appointment. Now, get Moonchild finished, there are enough of you and you have ten days. If your team is struggling, I need to know, I cannot fix a problem if I am not aware of it so I will demand results as things are. Moonchild isn't just about the website, we have the advert to put together and film, plus I am expecting a magazine spread should our campaign be as successful as I anticipate.”

“Yes Sir” one lady said.

Taehyung paused, then picked up his cup and folder, nodding to the table as he walked through the door being held open for him, leaving the people around the table to exhale. He was a fair boss but people knew that he didn’t take any prisoners, he had expectations and if they weren’t met, he would terminate your contract. He often reminded the staff at Purple Aura that the separate departments represented the company as a whole and if he felt someone was letting the company down, he didn't want them working for him. He ran a tight ship, his staff knew what was expected of them and they knew what would happen if they didn’t live up to that.

“Stefan, can you order a new coffee machine for the staff room on the Web design level? I have just been past there and people were complaining about it, apparently it has been broken for weeks. I reminded the people who were complaining that if I am not aware, I cannot do anything about it. I’ve taken their names and will be watching them because I’m not satisfied that they will learn from this and I want their work rate monitored. People who are quick to complain and bad mouth the company without acting on it, are usually lazy.”

“Yes of course, Mr Kim, Sir. I will do that right away.”

“Here’s the list of four names. I want their line managers in my office after lunch and if they, themselves are managers, I want to know about it. I am aware that a few teams had a change of leadership recently so if one of them has a managerial role, I will be stepping in and making the necessary changes. If they are quick to speak negatively about my company over a coffee machine then it begs the question as to what else they have been saying.”

“I will get right on it, Sir. I am just replying to a few emails that require immediate answers and there have been some changes to your schedule for next week but I will email you the alterations once I have finished.”

Taehyung nodded and walked into his office, heading for his desk once he’d hung up his jacket and removed his shoes because he didn’t see the point of having a plush carpet if he was just going to wear shoes all day. It was the type of pile that was so thick that there were footprints left behind as you walked, Taehyung liked to go one step further and go barefooted if he was alone in the evenings, he liked wiggling his toes deep into it. 

He sat at his desk and scanned the extensive list of emails, opening all those with a red exclamation mark beside it and rolling his eyes as he saw what some people viewed as 'high importance.' While taking a sip of his tea he looked at the message on his phone, finding it slightly strange how a smile naturally appeared when he saw Jungkook’s name on the screen.

JK  
Dinner was no problem. Thank you for that final head shot 😉 

Taehyung couldn't stop the way his lips pulled into a bigger smile as he read the last part and saw the emoji. 

KTH  
It was my duty to rescue you from absolute certain death after you'd been so hospitable.

When his phone buzzed straight away he was impressed and then saw it was Jin.

Jin  
I fly out tomorrow evening for 2 days. Brunch before I go?

KTH  
Meeting at 10 downtown so could do early lunch at 12?

Jin  
Where downtown? 

KTH  
At the Cliffs. 

Jin  
I'll phone Blueside and make a lunch res. I'm not eating downtown.

KTH  
Perfect. 

No sooner had he replied to Jin but another message from Jungkook appeared.

JK  
My hospitality is renowned. Being rescued from absolute certain death as opposed to just death is always a good thing. 

KTH  
I must mix in the wrong circles because news of your exemplary hospitality hasn't reached me. Did you finish your assignment?

JK  
Very nearly. I will be handing it in within the hour. You sound like my Father.

KTH  
Being Daddy isn't really my thing but who knows? 😉

Taehyung liked this flirty banter, he didn't think it would have been possible a couple of weeks ago when all they appeared to do was irritate one another. He wished he could see Jungkook’s face when he read the message, he wondered if it was flustered like he was when he appeared behind him in the kitchen or maybe flirty comments didn't bother him at all? The CEO got the impression that Jungkook liked to be in control in the bedroom, little things he'd said and the way he held his hands over the controller while they played the games made him believe this but he couldn't be sure. There was also the fact that he quickly pushed away the thoughts because that was a slippery slope to having feelings and wanting more… he wasn't ready for that. He needed to be in control of his senses and emotions at all times, he didn't like being controlled by his heart, it was his head that showed him the right way, his heart would just get him into trouble but it was becoming increasingly difficult to ignore it completely.

JK  
I'm not looking for a Daddy so you're safe. I must get this assignment finished, have a good day 🙂

The CEO smiled, he felt justified in his assumption that Jungkook liked to be in control between the sheets…. Not that he had given it any thought at all.

****

It was late when Taehyung finally got home, he'd had Stefan pick up his dinner before he went home and that was three hours before Tae himself finally left the office. He grabbed a glass of wine and settled in the bath, immersing himself in the warm water with its lavender bath oil. He was tired and as he lay his head back against the tiled wall, he switched on the jets to turn the bath into a whirlpool, the gentle streams of water causing bubbles to multiply. The big jacuzzi style corner bath was as stylish as the rest of the monochrome master bathroom with all of the chrome fixings and the wall that the sink was against was made entirely of mirrored glass. There was a large shower, a rectangular shape made of glass that had the bottom half frosted. It housed a shower with two heads that hit you from the east and west when you stood in the middle. There were spotlights on the ceiling but dotted around them were many tiny lights that looked like stars when they were switched on as the only source of light. Taehyung loved to stargaze but living in the city with all the light pollution it wasn't always possible so he brought it to his bathroom, complete with constellations. His bedroom has an ensuite bathroom that was actually a shower room with its large shower, sink and toilet, decorated to the same luxurious standard as the other rooms but when he wants to relax he does so in the master bathroom. 

He sipped on his wine and wriggled his toes under the water. The tiny bubbles dancing over his skin and disappearing, only to be followed by more. His thoughts were of Jungkook and wondering what he was doing. Was he at the diner or playing a game at home? He'd wanted to message him earlier to ask if he'd handed in his assignment and to ask him if he'd had a good day but talked himself out if it, even though he now couldn't remember why he hadn’t so he picked up his phone.

Was 10pm too late to send a text? He thought it was on the cusp of being too late, therefore he would send one.

KTH  
Good evening. Did you manage to achieve your aim of handing in your assignment?

He sent the message then scrolled through some emails, he’d been so caught up with the posters for the second series of a drama and designing the set for the Moonchild advert after receiving an outline from Namjoon, that he hadn’t read the emails from Stefan. He was pleased to see that he would be meeting with one line manager tomorrow, the four guys complaining about the coffee machine were all in the same department so that made it a little easier to handle at least. It wasn’t how he liked to start his day but he could get that matter sorted before his meeting downtown and lunch with Jin. 

JK  
Yes I did, thank you. Have you had a good day?

Jungkook’s message surprised Tae a little, it occurred to him that no one ever really asked him how his day had been… he liked it… he liked that Jungkook wanted to know such a small detail.

KTH  
My day has been consistently busy. Apologies if my late message disturbed you.

JK  
Ash would say I’m already disturbed 🤪 You didn’t disturb me, I was just running through something before bed.

KTH  
I don’t know you well enough to collude with Ash but I will make a note of that 😉 What is it that you are running through?

JK  
I’m going through a section of choreo we got today. You don’t ever want to collude with Ash, even when you know me better.

KTH  
I will make a note of that, also. You seem to inspire me to write lists 😉

JK  
I think you just like writing lists, it has nothing to do with me but I’m pleased that I am a cause of inspiration.

KTH  
I will add ‘modest’ to the other list, if that hasn’t been added already.

JK  
Perhaps I should start a list of words to describe you, then we are even.

KTH  
I don’t believe you like being equal to someone, I think you prefer coming out on top.

JK  
That last part is the most accurate thing you’ve said, you can add that to your list.

Taehyung sat up in the water, the warmth sloshing around as it was disturbed by the sudden movement. He was now one hundred percent convinced that Jungkook was a man who controlled bedroom activity, he was assertive and forceful at times, he got the impression that he knew what he wanted and wasn’t afraid to command authority… and now Taehyung knew that he was a top too… unless his mind was in the gutter and he was reading more into Jungkook’s words than he intended.

KTH  
I’ve added ‘top’ to the list but moved it into poll position, there are some words that take priority.

JK  
It’s a good job that I wasn’t talking about one of the other words in that message. 

KTH  
Isn’t it just 😉

JK  
Do you have a busy day tomorrow?

KTH  
I do but I’m meeting a friend for an early lunch so it isn’t all bad. Are you at school tomorrow?

JK  
No, I have a day shift at the diner then I might do some busking. I will practice more choreo in between.

KTH  
A busy day for you then. I will leave you to your choreo. Goodnight, Jungkook.

JK  
Don’t work too hard. Goodnight, Taehyung.

Tae put his phone down after reading through all the messages again, the conversation did cause a warmth inside him and that had nothing to do with the temperature of the bath. This change of direction he was experiencing with Jungkook was one he welcomed but it also worried him when he thought about the differences between them… he still believed they were worlds apart and he didn’t even know if they were on the same page. It was complicated but for now, he would live in the moment and tonight he very much enjoyed the conversation between them.


	10. Misunderstandings

"Oh my god, he wants you to call him Daddy."

Jungkook frowned, screwing up his face "What? Can you even read?"

"I can read, it's not about what is written it's about what it says between the lines."

"You mean, what you choose to fabricate?"

Jungkook was sitting in the lounge writing notes on some of the things he'd noticed about the choreography he practiced last night after his text conversation with Tae. Ash was laying on the sofa, summoning the energy to get to the library but not being very successful. He'd asked Jungkook about the texts and his friend gave him his phone so he could read the conversation for himself, even though that wasn't the best idea, obviously.

"This is some shit flirting though. You two are lame." 

"Thank you. I'm quite enjoying the flirting, it beats bickering."

"A fuck is definitely on the cards."

"Which two lines is that between?"

"Oh come on! Yesterday you acted all stupid when I asked about your evening with him and then there's these texts where you basically tell him you wanna fuck him and he accepts." Ash throws one hand in the air for effect.

Jungkook looks over at his friend being overdramatic on the sofa, "Are you actually reading the conversation I had with him? I didn't _basically_ tell him anything of the sort."

"You told him your sexual preference… same thing. If you had absolutely no plans to fuck him, you wouldn't be flirting, you wouldn't have wanted him to kiss you in the kitchen and you definitely wouldn't have told him you're a giver."

"WOAH! When did I say I wanted him to kiss me?" the look of shock is evident as his eyes widen and his mouth remains open.

Ash lifted his head off the sofa to look at Jungkook "Deny it!! Tell me I misread what you told me and that you didn't want him to kiss you… tell me!"

"But I didn't actually say that." Jungkook said, a light dusting of red creeping up his cheeks.

"Do you still think this is a bet or that he's lost a dare, or whatever it is that you thought?"

"No, he seemed genuine the other night and he didn't have to ask me about my assignment. I was surprised that he remembered to be honest."

"So you have to accept that he likes you and you also have to accept that Saturday is a date."

"I don't know to what extent or why, but yes, okay, I accept that he must like me. As for Saturday, if I acknowledge it as a date then it feels weird because I don't know if he accepted the invitation as a date. It would be really odd for one of us to be on a date and the other, not." Jungkook tapped his cheek with the end of his pen.

Ash lay his head back down "Why are you overcomplicating this? You can tell him that you're a giver but you can't make it clear that you asked him out on a date? Where is the logic?"

"Because if I ask him out on a date then he might say no because suddenly it means we are dating. That changes things and… well… he could say no, then I’ll look like a complete idiot because I am the one who would have made it clear that I want to date him."

"That’s too many 'becauses' by the way."

"Fuck off"

"So you won't use the word _date_ , even though that's what Saturday is, in case he turns you down? And also that it would mean you were dating, even though that's what you are already doing. And you're worried that you _might_ look like an idiot? Well, let me tell you, that ship sailed, Kookie monster."

Jungkook rolled his eyes “I thought we were **too** different but the other night while we were playing the game, I didn’t feel like there was such a huge gap between us.”

“That’s because you were sitting beside each other.” Ash laughed.

“You aren’t funny!”

“I am and you know it.”

“No, you aren’t, the fact you think you are, is quite concerning if I’m honest. Anyway, as I was saying, he didn’t have that air of stuck up-ness about him the other night, it felt like he was more human than I’d given him credit for.”

Ash giggled “Apart from when he said you were immature for playing games.”

“He didn’t actually say that in those words but yes, you know that irritated me. I try not to bite as much as I can because the look on his face tells me that he may not mean it as it comes across. It’s difficult though because he really can be a rude arrogant prick.”

“A rude arrogant prick that you like… a lot… and you want to fuck while you call him Daddy… whilst not dating him.”

“Haven’t you got an appointment with some books at the library?”

“Taunting you is so much more fun.”

“I’m going for a shower, I’ve got a shift at Dino’s in two hours and I said I’d go up and see Marie before I start.”

“While checking your phone for a message from KTH.”

“No, I won’t. Besides, he's busy today. I’m not expecting to hear from him.”

“Who’s he out for lunch with?”

“I don’t know, why would I know that?”

“Maybe he’s got guys everywhere and takes a different one out each time?”

“He said ‘a friend’.”

“I know he did… a friend with benefits, perhaps?”

“Shut up, Ash. So what if it is? It’s not like we are anything to each other now is it?”

“Wow, that escalated quickly. It bothers you, doesn’t it?” Ash sits up quickly.

“Not at all, he’s free to sleep with whoever he wants. I’m just some busker boy filling his time when he chooses.” the comment was a flippant one but he can't help but wonder if there's any truth in it or even if he genuinely believes it to be true.

“Hey! That’s not how it is and you know it. That jealousy streak of yours is feisty.”

“I’m not jealous. Now I am going for a shower or I’ll tell Marie that it’s your fault I can’t stay for a coffee.”

Ash held his hands up in the air in defeat, Jungkook’s phone in one of them which he grabs before heading for the bathroom. It wasn’t that he was jealous of course but it was the fact that everything Ash said were things that had made their way into his thoughts one way or another and hearing them out loud provoked a certain reaction. 

“I would suggest that you sort your head out and make your intentions clear before he looks elsewhere. You have no right to complain if you don’t.” he called out as the bathroom door closed and he collapsed back down onto the sofa.

***

Taehyung’s meeting with the department line manager had gone as expected, two of the four men were renowned for running their mouths about everyone and everything so he’d issued the manager with a warning to get them under control or he would terminate their contracts. He placed high value on respect and trust and if he couldn’t trust his staff then they would have to go, he could always find others to replace them. He was grateful that he happened upon them yesterday and the manager assured him they would be pulled into line. After that he drove downtown for a meeting to discuss a current advertising campaign with a company who own a chain of restaurants. It was a relatively easy meeting, the company always allowed Purple Aura full control of their campaign so Tae simply had to negotiate the terms of the new contract and finalise the plans for their current one. The meeting was a welcome stress reliever after the way his morning had started.

Now he was walking through the doors of Blue Side after handing his key to the parking attendant and knowing that the young man’s enthusiasm was because he would get to drive the ferrari and get a good tip afterwards. He liked the staff here, they always bent over backwards for him and his friends, with the manager often coming out to speak with them if they were dining during the day when it was quieter. 

“About time!” Jin said, standing to greet Taehyung.

“You got here 2 minutes ago so please don’t treat me like Joon or Hobi and the fact that _you_ are here before me is a cause for concern.” he replied, taking a seat and noticing they were at a table for four.

“They told you at the front desk didn’t they?” Jin asks, eyebrows raised.

Tae nodded “They did. They said you’d arrived a couple of minutes ago and you were waiting for me.”

“I should tip them before the meal, then maybe they won’t say anything.”

“It’s worth a try but you might need a gag clause to accompany it because that sounds an awful lot like bribery.”

Jin winked and pointed at his friend “Now, that is an idea.”

Tae laughed, picking up the menu as he spoke “Who else did you rope into lunch?”

“Yoon. He was the only one who was free. Jimin has a meeting with a prospective client, Joon is out of town and Hobi has a day of classes.”

“Did I hear my name?” Yoongi said as he approached the duo.

“I’m going to tell Mochi that your hearing is better than he’s led to believe.” Tae said with a smirk.

“You can tell him but you know he’ll believe me.” was the reply.

“Only because he’s so blinded by love, the soppy idiot.” Jin said.

“Are you calling the love of my life an idiot?” Yoongi asked Jin.

“Yes but I tell him he’s an idiot often enough so pipe down.” the model said.

“Who’s the prospective client he’s meeting with today?” Taehyung asked as the waiter brought over some bottles of fruit juice in slender glass bottles, pouring each one into a frosted glass that had fresh fruit in the bottom.

“Park Jisoo, she’s up for a supporting actress award for her role in ‘Reflection’. She has been looking for a Korean stylist because she wants something with a cultural take on it.”

“Isn’t that her first role?” Jin was a big fan of movies, when he had time. It served him well when appearing at events where there were actors and actresses among the celebrities.

“Yeah. I can’t see Mini taking her on though. He’s got offers coming at him from all directions, even some of his regulars haven’t got a chance this season. I think she thinks that being Korean puts her in front of everyone else but if he operated on that premise he wouldn’t be where he is today.”

“Being the same nationality can’t be the reason he takes her on, that’s absurd. Can you imagine if I did that with companies? He could miss out on some really good business that way.” Tae chipped in.

“He has to operate on a cut throat basis, he can’t have favourites. He has some regulars but they are with him all year round. When it comes to specific occasions like awards season, he has to be selective, he’s the best in his field.” Yoongi was proud of his man, he knew that Jimin had a criteria when it came to choosing clients but he also knew the Jimin who had a big heart and behind closed doors, didn’t always enjoy making such decisions.

“He’ll make the best decision for him, he’s been doing this long enough and the fact that he’s well known, says that he knows what he’s doing. If Park Jisoo thinks she’s going to get a good deal, simply based on nationality then she is very much mistaken.” Jin raised his brow, taking a sip of his juice.

“Has he got many spaces left for the season?” Tae asked, waving the waiter over so they could order food.

“Three left. I think he should only take on one more but he wants to take three.”

Tae gave his order to the waiter then turned back to Yoongi “Have you planned your trip for when it’s over?”

“Yeah. I’ve booked to fly to Norway. We are starting off in Tromso so we can see the northern lights, he’s always wanted to see them and then we fly south to Trysil to a ski resort, you know how much he loves snow.”

“Nice! You’re there for your anniversary too… any plans?” Tae asked while Jin spoke to the waiter, it sounded like he was complaining about something which wasn’t anything new for Jin.

“You might have his left hand thrust at you via video call while we are there, put it that way.” Yoongi said with a big smile.

“I knew it! About time too! I hope you had help choosing the ring, I wouldn’t want to pick out a ring for him, of all people.” Tae laughed.

“Are you going to propose?” Jin was just turning his attention back to the table as the waiter left them to it.

“That’s the plan. The ring won’t matter because I’ve written him a song for the proposal so he won’t see the ring through tears.” 

Both Jin and Tae laughed. 

“Mochi is going to be an emotional mess. You’re going to ruin him, you know that?” Tae said giggling.

“Please video it so we can use it for emotional blackmail purposes.” Jin suggested.

“If anyone is using that video it will be me, thank you very much.” Yoongi laughed.

“I look forward to hearing all about it.” Tae added.

The waiter brought their food over and the trio happily munched away, with talk turning to the charity event rapidly approaching.

“Are you here for the charity event, Jin?” Yoongi asked.

“It’s a week on Saturday, isn’t it?”

“Yeah. Apparently I get to see my suit Saturday morning.”

“Tomorrow?” Tae asked.

“No… of course not.” Yoongi said while the other two giggled.

“I might be here. I didn’t think I would be but there could be a photoshoot the day before which will put off me flying out for three days.”

“I’ll put your name down then. Will you come alone?”

“Now, you know I like to fly solo. This face doesn’t need a plus one, Yoon.” 

“What about you, Tae? Mini said you were having problems with the escort company you usually use.”

“I’ve been in contact with them since the last time we were here and they kept passing me around so I threatened to use my contacts to spread the word about their bad business. I was planning on giving them a chance but after the way they have handled the complaint, I’m not so sure now.”

“So you’re coming solo, too?” Yoongi asked his friend.

“Possibly but you know I prefer having someone on my arm. People are used to seeing me with someone, it is a part of my reputation, now.”

“What he means is that he isn’t as handsome as I am, so he needs someone else to make him look good.” Jin laughed at himself.

“No, what he means is that he has a reputation for being a whore so needs to avoid disappointing people.” Yoongi joined Jin in laughing at himself while Taehyung remained straight faced.

“If I ever need a confidence boost, I know exactly where not to go.” Tae said to his friends.

“You would never need a confidence boost, your arrogance precedes you.” Jin said while chewing.

“True. I draw the line at being a whore though.”

“Tae, you are the only guy who has a reputation for being a player, without actually being one. It’s only because you always have a different guy on your arm every time you go to an event. People make assumptions, you know what they are like.” 

“Exactly what Yoon said. Once you find someone to settle down with, you wait for that rumour mill to change. They like to gossip and because you are so private, they have to make shit up. They presume you are a playboy because of the different guys you are seen with and who can blame them? You are an extremely eligible bachelor and there are loads of guys out there that would want to be the one in your bed.”

“People will gossip regardless of what I do. When I did Vogue, the first question was about dating, I really don’t get the fascination.”

“Because they want the details. They want to know who’s in your bed. Remember when you dated that idol? Can’t remember his name. It was everywhere and it was beneficial to his career more than it was yours.” Jin remembered the guy, he thought he was a dick.

“Yeah, he is the reason I haven’t ever dated an idol again. It was a shame because he was very attractive and Mochi liked the way he dressed.”

“But Mochi was his stylist.” Yoongi said and the three guys laughed.

“Exactly, that’s why he liked him. It’s easier with escorts, even you lot can’t complain because you know you’ll only see him for one evening.”

“Have you heard the latest from Hoseok? That guy accepted his invitation to the charity event. He phoned me this morning, they are having dinner tonight.” Yoongi pushed his plate away, satisfied that he was finished.

“This one sounds promising, he seems to be more like Hobi from what he was saying.” Tae added.

“Even though, are we ready for another Hobi in the group?” Jin said, waving his hand in the air for the bill. 

“That will be an interesting evening. Hobi is pretty taken with this one so I hope he’s a good guy. He doesn’t need a gold digger.” Yoongi was suspicious of everyone, he’d seen a lot of people using others for their own personal gain over the years.

“Hobi thinks he’s well off so I don’t think he’s a gold digger. We’ll be able to give our thoughts once we’ve met him.” Jin always made a point of asking the awkward questions to new people who appear in their group.

“We are meeting beforehand at that bar around the corner. Mini has organised their V.I.P room for us if you want to join us?”

“I will, I can pick Joon up on the way and we might even be on time.” Jin laughed.

“I’ll be there if I can, it depends where I’m meeting the escort, if I arrange one.”

Jin paid for their lunch, it was his turn so the other two didn’t complain. It didn’t really matter when you had as much money as they did, they each knew that they could afford it so taking it in turns wasn’t a big deal.

After leaving Blueside, Taehyung checked his emails while waiting for the parking attendant to bring him his car. A headache was creeping up on him, threatening his temples and lurking behind his eyes so he phoned Stefan and told him he would be working from home as he had everything he needed there, given his afternoon schedule.

Once home, he changed into his loose pyjama trousers and a t-shirt, his slippers making a padding sound on the hardboard floor as he walked through to the kitchen to get a drink. He liked the peace and quiet of his apartment, the only sound usually was the faint sound of classical music or a show soundtrack playing through his speakers. He rarely watched television and preferred the serenity that silence brought with it. 

Stefan phoned him once to tell him that his appointments had altered for Monday but to inform him that otherwise his schedule was as it was in the email he’d sent. He couldn’t resist telling Taehyung to have a good time at Neverland tomorrow and that he looked forward to all the details on Monday, adding that he would make sure he arrived at the office an hour earlier so he could hear it all before work started. Tae smiled weakly at his enthusiasm, at least one of them could be enthusiastic, it warmed him that he cared so much.

He sat at his desk, placing some painkillers beside a glass of water as his headache magnified a little more. He thought about Jungkook, unsure of what time he would be at the diner because he hadn’t been specific on his shift times. Taehyung had considered visiting him but the day had got away with him and the lunch went on a bit longer than expected, as pleasant as it was. While he waited for his computer to reboot since it decided to do an update at this critical time, he tapped a message out to Jungkook on his phone.

KTH  
Good afternoon, how has the choreo practice gone today? 

He always typed out the message several times after deleting it because he thought it sounded ridiculous. It was the initial message that caused him trouble because once Jungkook replied, the conversation seemed to flow one way or another.

The computer beeped to announce that it had completed its update and was ready for use. He stretched out his long legs, crossing them at the ankle while calling up his emails and the spreadsheet he needed. His office was a large open space, not quite as big as his bedroom but it was originally intended as a second bedroom. Taehyung had it decorated and turned into an office, the desk was a walnut Japanese style piece of furniture imported from Japan and custom made. As you walked into the room, the desk was practically in front of you on the other side of the room, the walls were a warm pale lilac, which appeared grey in some lights, the large leather chair that sat up against his desk was the same as the one in his office at Purple Aura Towers because Taehyung liked consistency and if one chair worked for him then why would he have any other?

There had been rare occasions when he’d needed to have a meeting in his home office so nestled in the corner to the far right of the door was a set of two, two-seater leather sofas that faced one another, with a small walnut table between them. There was a large walk-in wardrobe hidden behind doors on the same wall that the desk was against, Taehyung had this completely gutted and it now housed his filing cabinets, spare computer and the crystal carafe that he used for still water on the rare occasion that he had a visitor in the room. The carpet was the same as the one at Purple Aura and the spotlights on the ceiling could be controlled in clusters in various places if needed because it was incredibly bright when they were all on at once. Today, he needed relative darkness because his head was pounding and no longer just threatening so he relented, throwing the tablets into his mouth and taking a mouthful of water, pulling a face as he gulped them down.

JK  
Hi, I’m on my way to St Georges now, the subway is closed so using the time to practice. Is your busy day going well?

Taehyung stared at the message, wondering why he was going to the park to practice, not home where he presumed he would.

KTH  
You practice in the park? My busy day is still busy, thwarted slightly by a headache.

JK  
Are you still working, with a headache? Yes I always practice everything in the park.

KTH  
Yes I am still working but from home this afternoon. What is 'everything'?

JK  
Singing, dancing, anything that needs practice. Have you taken painkillers?

KTH  
Yes, just a moment before your initial message. Now who sounds like Daddy? 😉

Taehyung’s flaccid member definitely reacted as he typed out the message, just the thought of Jungkook naked, taking control, caused said reaction and his mouth pooled with saliva.

JK  
That wasn’t the intention on this occasion but okay.

KTH  
So, there are occasions for that then?

Taehyung couldn’t resist, he really enjoyed this flirty banter and felt a twinge of excitement knowing that he would be seeing Jungkook in the morning, wondering if this type of conversation would be something that filtered into the day.

JK  
There is an occasion for everything, Taehyung.

KTH  
And I’m guessing that you will decide when that occasion arises?

JK  
Maybe. I’m guessing that you aren’t someone who allows others to control a situation.

KTH  
You would be wrong. I much prefer to take a backseat in certain situations.

JK  
I stand corrected. Would you like to be more specific?

KTH  
Where’s the fun in that? I will allow you to find out for yourself.

JK  
Are you still picking me up at 10 in the morning?

KTH  
I am. I will be outside just before 10. Are we having lunch there?

JK  
I have food vouchers that came with the tickets, so yes.

KTH  
If you are covering the tickets and lunch, I will get us snacks or anything else during the day.

JK  
Everything that I am providing is free.

KTH  
Your time isn’t.

JK  
I’m suddenly busy tomorrow. Cancelled.

Taehyung read the message several times, confused… what had he said that was **that** bad or could Jungkook be joking?

KTH  
Why?

JK  
My time isn’t something to be paid for and that is not what is happening. Are we back to where you think I am only spending time with you because you are paying for it?

KTH  
That wasn’t what I meant.

JK  
Sure.

Taehyung took a deep breath and pressed ‘call’ he couldn’t risk any further misunderstandings over the limitations of the written word. He was slightly surprised when Jungkook answered with a defensive "What?"

“That was not what I meant so if you will allow me to explain myself?”

“Go on…”

Tae sighed “I was not referring to monetary value, Jungkook. I was pointing out that your time is not equal to free tickets because it is worth something. I certainly was not intending to cause offense, I apologise.”

“I see, well, I’m sorry for reacting.” he knows for definite that when Ash hears about this, he will say he had _over_ reacted.

“Are we back on for tomorrow?”

“Yeah. I appreciate you calling to explain.”

“Some things can’t be explained over text. Are you at the park now?”

“Yep, just walking to my spot.”

“You have a place?”

“Uh-huh. It’s the same spot I go to. It’s away from people and I can have some peace as the park gets pretty busy.”

“Well, good luck with the practice. I will see you at 10.”

“Thanks and yeah, see you at 10.”

Taehyung ended the call and took a very deep breath, slender fingers rubbed at his temples as he squeezed his eyes shut. It bothered him that he’d once again said something to irritate Jungkook, it hadn’t occurred to him at the time, that it would be taken that way but he was pleased he made the decision to call him. 

Throughout the rest of the afternoon, Taehyung managed to get a lot done, despite the thunderous pain banging in his head and despite the uneasiness he felt after the misunderstanding with the busker. It was 8pm when he decided to call it a day and then it dawned on him that he hadn’t given any thought to his outfit for tomorrow, having absolutely no idea what people wore on a day out to a theme park. He looked through the website that belonged to Neverland and looked at the people in the pictures for inspiration, sighing as he doubted he had anything suitable. He remembered the Gucci pumps that Hobi bought him last year for his birthday, he’d only worn them once and thought that comfort was key, given that he would be on his feet all day. The rest of the outfit could be matched to the aqua coloured shoes, so he chose a pair of slim fitting jeans, a sky blue patterned polo shirt and one of his favourite navy blue blazers. It was his very definition of outdoor casual, even if the outfit probably cost more than Jungkook’s rent for a year.

He swallowed some more tablets as he climbed into bed, that uneasiness still festering in his core, he looked at the time and wondered what Jungkook was doing at this hour. He decided to fire off a quick text before allowing sleep to take him and hopefully banish the pain in his head.

KTH  
Did practice go well?

He wasn’t expecting such a fast response but was pleased that Jungkook replied so quickly.

JK  
It did, thank you. How’s your head?

Taehyung smiled a weary smile, the earlier misunderstanding appeared to have been left as the texts returned with their normal tone.

KTH  
Not great, I’m going to sleep early in the hope that I wake pain free.

JK  
Sleep well then, see you at 10.

KTH  
You too. Goodnight, Jungkook.

JK  
Goodnight, Taehyung.

**Author's Note:**

> Updates every Friday x M x


End file.
